


Érable

by crymeariver99



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst....much angst, Cheryl is basically Kylie Jenner, Choni Stripper AU, F/F, Lot of porn and lots of plot, No one tops or bottoms they switch often, Sweet Pea and Josie are background, TW: Homophobia present throughout, There's 3 parts to this fic so it's going to be long
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-09-04
Packaged: 2019-11-09 00:32:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 73,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17991479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crymeariver99/pseuds/crymeariver99
Summary: Billionaire Cheryl Blossom didn't expect to find herself in her college friend's recently opened gentlemen's club. She didn't expect to meet someone as mysterious and seductive as Diamond (Toni Topaz) while there either. There was something about this woman, something that she couldn't resist. Little did either of them how the other would change their life, for better and worse. Uncertainty, self acceptance, pining, lust, heartache, love. But most importantly, maple.





	1. Part 1: Une

**_PART 1:_ **

**_On n’aime que ce qu’on ne possède pas tout entier._ **

 

* * *

 

_“The worst loneliness is to not be comfortable with yourself.”  
― Mark Twain_

_1._

Cheryl Blossom was made for drinking bubbling champagne. Especially bottles of Armand de Brignac. She knew the raised outdent of the metallic spade on the bottle better than the back of her hand. It reflected the light very well, letting everyone in the vicinity know that someone extremely wealthy was about to sip on the drink.

Cheryl Blossom was made for a lavish lifestyle. For weekend vacations to Rome and longer getaways to Turks and Caicos. To attend Paris Fashion Week and collaborate with Balenciaga at the young age of twenty-three. She was made to breathe new life into fashion, to have critics saying she was producing what no one had ever seen before, to have her fashion company be labeled the next up and coming Versace.

Having the pressure of a label like that meant that Cheryl had to keep that image wherever she went. She was photographed everywhere, followed by ruthless paparazzi who would go to extreme measures just for an exclusive shot. Not once was she photographed looking anything less than perfect, it didn’t matter where she was going or what she was doing.

Tonight was no different, though the paparazzi hadn’t been tipped off yet on where she was going. Reggie Mantle, an old friend from college, had opened up a new gentleman’s club in Brooklyn. Though Cheryl hadn’t been to one of those kinds of places since college, she was intrigued by his message when he described the girls as being “the hottest on the east coast.” There hadn’t been much time for her to do things like show up unannounced at a gentlemen’s club in recent months. She spent most of her time in her company’s headquarters on West 37th Street or receiving phone calls involving her fall line that was debuting in Paris in two weeks.

Her plum-colored pant suit had been custom made for her, embroidered with plum-colored hibiscus flowers on the shoulder pads and sleeves. A diamond encrusted maple leaf brooch was pinned onto her lapel, a staple of all of her outfits.

A strong gush of cool air hit her as her driver opened the car door for her. Cheryl looked up at the neon sign of a woman in a bikini, already second guessing if she should’ve come. The strong bass from the music being played inside could be heard from where she stood, beckoning her into its lair. The gentlemen’s club was tucked away in a quiet area of Brooklyn, with only a few people walking its streets this late at night.

Her assistant Betty Cooper had relayed her the instructions over the phone a few minutes before.

“Reggie said there’s a booth waiting for you inside,” Betty had rallied off. “Archie should be there already, just look for him.”

The inside of the club was dimly lit, with music so loud that Cheryl could feel it practically vibrating inside her ear drums. There was a deep red hue to everything around her from the bright lights that hit every corner of the floor. Dozens of smartly dressed men were filling the booths and surrounding the stage in the middle. A woman with a dreamcatcher tattoo on her rib and only a small set of lingerie was dancing sensually to the beat of the music, gyrating her hips in a slow circle as bills were thrown at her. Cheryl stopped and watched her briefly, eyes raking over her curvaceous backside and long legs.

It was definitely a step up from the strip clubs she used to visit while in college. There was no smell of old beer and sweat lingering in the air. The men that weren’t mesmerized by the woman on stage were chatting amongst each other and drinking top shelf liquor. Occasional whistles of encouragement could be heard over the loud music, but the atmosphere remained relatively lowkey.

Cheryl tore her eyes away from the woman on stage and began to scan the room for her old friend Archie Andrews. He was watching the woman on the dance floor as well, sipping his drink slowly as he kept his eyes trained on her.

“Bonsoir Archibald,” Cheryl spoke as she approached the booth.

He looked up at her with hazy eyes over the rim of his glass. His smart attire consisted of a charcoal button up shirt and a light grey sports coat, a great improvement from what he usually dressed in. Often times when Cheryl saw him, he was wearing some obscure t-shirt and jeans. Though most would consider it practical everyday attire, being in the fashion industry made Cheryl’s taste much higher than custom made jeans.

“Evening Blossom,” he burped in response as she slid into the booth across from him. “You missed one of the best dances of the night.”

“The night is still young. There are plenty more dances,” Cheryl responded, as Archie flagged down a server walking by.

“Another Sidecar,” he said, placing his empty glass on the edge of the table. “And whatever she wants.”

Archie and the female server turned to look at Cheryl, “I’ll have a rose martini.”

Archie sighed once the server walked away, not failing to stare at her retreating form. His very public breakup with pop-sensation Josie McCoy was clearly taking a toll on him. Cheryl felt partially responsible, as Josie was her best friend and it had been her who introduced them to each other at the Met Gala five years prior. Archie and Josie had been one of America’s favorite couples, already having gone to the extent of recording a Christmas album together that had been released the year before. Cheryl had heard the news of their engagement being called off while she was reading the morning news, her heart dropping as she read their public statement that had been posted on their various social media platforms from the comfort of her beach chair in Lake Como.

Josie had been the one to call it off, claiming Archie was still too much wrapped up in the partying lifestyle and she was not ready to marry a man who preferred to go out with his friends than have a cozy night in. The news of their engagement ending had happened a few weeks before Christmas, and since then Archie had definitely not picked his pieces of the ground and attempted to move on. He had even cancelled his world tour, citing that he needed to take time off and work on himself. From what Cheryl had seen, working on himself meant drinking himself until he was blind and sleeping with numerous women in one night.

“How are you doing?” Cheryl asked, watching him warily as he picked at the food on his plate with little interest.

Archie laughed, “I’m in heaven right now. This place has the hottest girls I’ve ever seen.”

“Cheryl Blossom. I was wondering when you were going to walk into my establishment.”

Cheryl turned slightly from where she sat to see Reggie Mantle standing over her in his black sportscoat, a toothpick hanging loosely from his lips.

“Reginald,” Cheryl greeted, cracking a smile as Reggie slyly pushed his gelled black hair back into its combover. “Who would’ve thought you’d go from throwing dollars at strip clubs in college to owning a nice place like this.”

“We all knew this is what I do best. It’s been three weeks and I already own the best gentlemen’s club in all of New York City. Welcome to the Speakeasy,” Reggie responded, opening his arms widely. “Now where’s my hug?”

“I’m not standing up to hug you,” Cheryl stated, her smile fading as she looked up at him. She began to remember why she didn’t keep much contact with her college friend.

“Alright, fair,” Reggie said, lowering his arms. “I’ll get one later before you go. Is this _the_ Archie Andrews that you brought with you?”

“Yes. Nice to meet you, man. This is a real nice place you’ve got,” Archie said, reaching over to shake Reggie’s hand pompously.

“Reggie Mantle,” Reggie said, responding to the handshake with equal fervor. “I have to say, I love your song _I’ll Try_. And I’m not someone who listens to much music outside of the rap genre.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it,” Archie responded. Cheryl glanced at him, it was the only song he had released after his breakup with Josie and had instantly become one of his biggest hits.

“Well, I saw you were already taken care of when it came to drinks. Can I get you both anything else to eat? We have a really good filet mignon tonight and an _incredible_ chocolate lava cake,” Reggie asked, placing a hand on top of the seat behind Cheryl’s head.

“The filet mignon sounds good. Medium-rare,” Archie said, as the same server placed his Sidecar in front of him.

“Do you have anything vegan?” Cheryl asked, nodding in appreciation to the server as her rose martini was place in front of her.

“See I knew you’d say that and tonight our vegan special is brussel sprouts with quinoa and maple glazed sweet potatoes. And of course, we use your family’s maple syrup,” Reggie smirked.

“That sounds great thanks,” Cheryl nodded, reaching to take a sip of her martini. Three bright pink rose petals floated on the top, adding to the aesthetic of the pale pink alcohol in the glass.

“The next dancer should be on in about twenty minutes. I’ll try to have your food out by then so that you can enjoy it while you watch,” Reggie said. “I’ll be walking around a bit, so let me know if you both need anything else.”

* * *

 

Reggie was right, he really did have the hottest girls on the east coast, at least in Cheryl’s opinion. Her plate of steaming hot food had arrived just as the next dancer had started her routine. The dancer, who had been announced as Scarlett, was wearing even less clothing than the dancer before. The only thing left to the imagination were covered by sequined pasties on her chest and a small blue thong. She danced sensually to the music as Cheryl watched her intently while she polished off her first martini.

Her dance was over too soon for Cheryl’s tastes, but she threw a few hundreds over the railing and onto the stage. This seemed to catch the attention of Scarlett, who looked in Cheryl’s direction and gave her a playful wink.

Archie clapped and whistled a few times, throwing a handful of bills in her direction. Most of them ended up on the floor, not even making it over the stage. He was more intoxicated now than before, taking larger sips as he shoveled filet mignon and grilled asparagus in his mouth.

Cheryl’s phone vibrated on the table, making her tear her eyes away from watching Scarlett exit the stage.

**Cheryl, you can’t ignore me forever. Answer me.**

It was from Veronica. Oscar-nominated Veronica Lodge. Cheryl rolled her eyes and cleared the notification from her phone, not wanting to deal with Pandora’s box at the moment.

“What’d you think of Scarlett? She’s one of my favorites.”

It was Reggie again, toothpick still in his mouth and a new lipstick mark under his earlobe. He was flanked by the same female waitress, who placed another Sidecar and rose martini on the table.

“She’s stunning,” Archie responded as he chewed his steak. “Each dance just gets better.”

“Well, my number one favorite is up next. She’s the one who brings in the most tips and you’ll see why,” Reggie smirked. “She is nothing less than high class.”

Cheryl took a sip of her new drink, “Won’t your wife not appreciate that lipstick stain on your ear? I can’t help but wonder.”

Reggie’s sly grin dropped from his face quickly and he frantically reached up to rub at his earlobe, “What she doesn’t know won’t kill her…erm, I’m being flagged down by the owner of the Yankees. Excuse me.”

Cheryl smirked and took another sip of her drink, watching Reggie hastily retreat towards the men’s room to wash the lipstick off of his face no doubt.

“Have you talked to Josie?” Archie slurred, causing Cheryl’s eyes to snap over to him.

She had, a few hours earlier in fact. Josie was currently spending her weekend in Los Angeles at her main house just south of Long Beach. She was doing better than Archie, having been in the studio recording every day for the past two weeks.

“No, not in the last week. Why?” Cheryl lied. Archie always asked about Josie after a while.

Archie shrugged and burped, “Just wanted to know what she was up to.”

“Arch, you’ve really got to start trying to move on,” Cheryl sighed, reaching over to squeeze his hand comfortingly. “Or at least try to better yourself so you both can make things work out.”

Archie retracted his hand, looking slightly taken aback, “She ruined me Cheryl. I can’t even pick up a guitar anymore.”

“And it’s not her fault you’re in a slump. You haven’t even taken my advice to go see a therapist,” Cheryl said, choosing her words carefully. “I really think it would be helpful.”

“I’m fine!” he snapped, sighing heavily. “I cannot believe you’re trying to have a heart to heart with me at a gentlemen’s club.”

Cheryl stared at Archie for a few moments, choosing not to respond and further set him off. The lights began to dim once again as music began to play, saving the amounting tension that was beginning to grow between she and Archie. On most days, she would’ve fired back with a retort so sharp it left a thin slice on his cheek, but in her twenty-five years of being alive she knew better than to further humiliate the grieving.

The intro of A$AP Rocky’s song LSD began to drown out all of the chatter and sound of clinking glasses. The lights facing the stage began to get brighter, this time illuminating the catwalk stage with a purple hue. Cheryl was barely paying attention, fork in one hand and her phone in the other. The exchange between she and Archie had definitely killed the mood for the night, making Cheryl debate if she should text her driver to take her back to her penthouse apartment. She chewed on her sweet potato slowly as she thought it over.

Archie whistled loudly with his pointer finger and thumb, so loud that it could be overheard even with the loud music. Cheryl’s eyes snapped up to him, watching him watch the stage with his undivided attention. Curious, Cheryl looked on the stage to see why all of the patrons at the gentlemen’s club seemed to be transfixed by the dancer.

When Cheryl laid her eyes onto the dancer who had just twisted around the pole, her mouth fell open slightly in awe. She had never seen a woman who looked like that before. Though she wasn’t the most scantily dressed dancer that they had seen, she oozed the most sex appeal despite wearing a bedazzled white bikini. Cheryl felt her mouth go dry as her eyes raked over the dancer’s body, not wanting to take her eyes off of her for the next ten years. A few other male patrons clapped and shouted words of encouragement, throwing bills over the railing and onto the dance floor as she hooked her leg around the pole and swung her body around.

As Cheryl’s eyes travelled up her body, she took in every curve in attempts of creating a screenshot memory of the moment. There was barely any words Cheryl could come up with in order to describe the shape of this woman. She was small framed, with prominent hips and a backside that was barely covered by the jeweled bikini. Her stomach was flat and toned, drawing attention to the diamond belly button ring in the center.

Cheryl’s eyes continued to travel up her body, pausing on her face. She quickly decided that her face was definitely the best part. There was a different kind of beauty to her that Cheryl hadn’t seen in a long time. Straightened light pink hair was pulled back into an intricate partial up do of braids that twisted back behind her head. Her lips were glossed and slightly parted, causing images to flash thru Cheryl’s mind on what she wanted to be doing to this dancer. Pink eyeshadow and black eyeliner accented her brown eyes, which Cheryl only caught glimpses of as she twisted around the pole.

It only took Cheryl a few more seconds to realize that those eyes were staring back at her, not breaking eye contact as she moved from the pole to her hands and knees. Cheryl felt a rush of heat travel down her body as she watched the dancer watch her, only able to take a long sip of her drink in order to keep herself calm. Cheryl’s heart lurched once the dancer broke their searing eye contact, a small smirk on her face as if she knew exactly what she was doing to the founder of Érable.

The dance was over too soon for Cheryl’s tastes, the song ending with the whole club cheering and clapping for the irresistible woman on stage. Bills of all amounts were flying in her direction, landing just over the railing or at the feet of the tall stilettos of the dancer. Her confidence was oozing off of her skin as a security guard held out his hand to help her down the steps and towards the backstage area.

Cheryl only stopped watching her the moment she had disappeared out of sight, stunned at how alive her body felt just from watching an incredibly sexy woman dance in front of her. She needed more.

“Who was that?” Cheryl asked, looking at Archie who was folding up a couple hundreds.

“Diamond. Didn’t you listen?” Archie replied, holding up the money he had folded. “I’m going to tuck theses in that bikini string once she walks by.”

Cheryl caught Reggie’s eyes from across the stage, watching him knowingly smirk at her. She waved him over, knowing he already knew what she wanted.

“Would you like a private dance with her? On the house,” Reggie smiled slyly. “You can see why she’s my number one favorite.”

“Yeah, she’s mine too. Send her over,” Archie answered, too drunk to realize Reggie was specifically offering the dance to Cheryl.

Diamond took her sweet time to get to Cheryl’s booth. She walked through the curtains that led backstage five minutes later, her sparkling bikini covered by a topaz silk robe that stopped just under her ass. A heavily tattooed and strong looking man dressed in black was in tow right behind her, watching intently to make sure no one touched Diamond in a way that broke the club’s rules.

Many men continued to tip her as she passed, handing over twenties and tucking fives into the belt of her robe. She stopped to chat to a few of them, laughing melodically at a comment an older man had made. Cheryl couldn’t stop looking and the anticipation was beginning to kill her.

She watched Reggie leave their booth and walk towards Diamond, bending down to whisper in her ear. Her eyes flashed over to the booth that she and Archie were sitting in, causing Cheryl’s stomach to lurch once more. Diamond smirked and said something back into Reggie’s ear before taking his outstretched hand as he escorted her in their direction.

“Ms. Blossom, Mr. Andrews, this is Diamond. My best dancer here at the Speakeasy,” Reggie spoke, introducing the captivating dancer to the both of them. Now that she was standing next to Reggie, Cheryl could see how small she was even in the tall stilettos.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you both,” Diamond purred, giving them a wink as she let go of Reggie’s hand. “I’m glad you enjoyed my dance.”

“You were amazing,” Archie said quickly, handing the bills he was holding directly to Diamond. Cheryl smirked, he must’ve gotten cold feet about tucking it in her bikini.

“Diamond here would be very pleased to give you a private dance in the back, Ms. Blossom,” Reggie said, before turning to Archie. “Can I interest you in another Sidecar while you wait for her to return?”

“Yeah, sure,” Archie replied, looking slightly disgruntled and jealous that the dance had been offered to Cheryl and not him.

“Right this way, Ms. Blossom,” Diamond spoke, voice smooth like maple syrup and honey. She extended a delicate hand in Cheryl’s direction, nodding at her to take it.

Cheryl took Diamond’s hand and allowed herself to stand up. She noticed how much taller she was than the dancer as her eyes travelled over her body in appreciation. Diamond stepped forward, keeping a firm grip on Cheryl’s hand as she pulled her along. Cheryl barely noticed her surroundings, already feeling a sense of euphoria of what was about to come. She barely noticed the male patrons who were also looking at she and Diamond walk by with eyes full of jealously and desire. The alcohol was beginning to settle in, making things hazy and for her feet to almost trip up under her. All of this and Cheryl only had eyes for the dancer who was leading her past the curtains of the backstage area and into a private room.

The private room was a deep red in color with a single dark leather chair in the center. Diamond allowed the curtain to close behind them, creating their own privacy away from the rest of the patrons. Cheryl looked around the room, taking in the atmosphere and the music the DJ had begun playing back in the main room. A speaker on the ceiling carried the music from the main room into their private area, which happened to be right next to a very obvious camera pointed at them.

“Well don’t be shy. Sit down,” Diamond purred again, giggling in a very innocent way. “I don’t bite.”

“I’m not shy,” Cheryl countered quickly, but moved to sit down in the leather chair.

“Excuse me, but I can’t help but assume you are. That’s the first thing you’ve said to me,” Diamond pointed out, turning to walk slowly towards Cheryl. “Are you just a woman of few words?”

Cheryl gripped the armrests of her chair tightly, “I’m a bit out of my element here, I apologize.”

“First time in a gentlemen’s club?” Diamond questioned, another giggle leaving her lips as she placed her long legs on either side of Cheryl and sat down on her lap.

“Yes…well not exactly,” Cheryl hesitated, immediately being enveloped in the intoxicating smell of the dancer sitting on her lap. She smelt like luxury and a hint of poison, something so addicting that she found herself inhaling deeply. “I went to a few strip clubs in college.”

Diamond’s hands travelled towards the silk belt that kept her robe on, causing Cheryl to gulp, “Well, what exactly is the billionaire Cheryl Blossom doing in a gentlemen’s club in Brooklyn?”

Cheryl was taken aback by her comment, “Oh, I didn’t think you recognized me. I guess I’m easily recognizable.”

“You were on the front cover of Forbes 60 Richest Self-Made Women. Easily recognizable is definitely too humble of a statement,” Diamond smirked, as she opened the silk robe to reveal a different outfit than what she had been wearing for her dance.

Her outfit consisted of a black lace corset, just see through enough that Cheryl could see her belly button ring thru the fabric. Cheryl continued to look down at the woman sitting on her lap, who began to smirk at how much Cheryl was enjoying her view.

“You are absolutely gorgeous,” Cheryl admitted, feeling the courage from her martinis taking hold. She looked back up into Diamond’s eyes, who were watching her intently with a lust so powerful that Cheryl began to forget about everyone else in the world.

Diamond smiled, not a smirk but a genuine smile, “When you say it like that, I can almost tell you’re being sincere.”

“I am,” Cheryl responded. “What’s your name?”

Diamond laughed, “I thought you’ve been to a few strip clubs before? Didn’t anyone ever tell you that dancers don’t give out their real names.”

“Didn’t anyone ever tell you that I am told what I want to know?” Cheryl responded simply, staring with equal intent back into Diamond’s eyes.

“Well, you might want to get used to being told no because I won’t be the first to say it to you,” Diamond responded, discarding her robe next to her as she rolled her hips firmly in Cheryl’s lap.

Cheryl bit her tongue in response, incredibly turned on by the motion and the comment that the dancer had made. Diamond’s hands moved to place themselves on Cheryl’s neck, holding on as she continued to grind down in her lap to the beat of the music.

“We don’t have a ‘no touch’ policy,” Diamond spoke again, her breath hitting Cheryl’s ear in a way that sent goosebumps up her spine. “You don’t have to keep your hands locked on that chair all night, there’s better uses for them.”

Cheryl had just realized how tight her grip was on the chair and how tense her posture was. She immediately let go of the armrests and moved her hands to rest on the sides of the dancer on her lap. Her skin was soft and smooth, she felt almost delicate under Cheryl’s touch.

“See? That’s better,” Diamond cooed, giggling again in Cheryl’s ear.

As three songs passed with Diamond on her lap making seductive comments in her ear, Cheryl realized that coming to Reggie’s gentlemen’s club was the best decision she had ever made in her life. Diamond had a way of getting Cheryl all worked up just by being close to her and letting her touch her body. One song turned into two which then ending up turning into five or size. It must’ve been at least forty-five minutes that the two had been in the back, enjoying the intimacy and making small talk.

“Nice tattoo,” Cheryl remarked, thumb trailing over the faded black tattoo on her side boob. “A snake?”

“A serpent,” Diamond responded, settling in Cheryl’s lap to take a break. “I used to be in a gang when I was growing up.”

“Really?” Cheryl asked. “You don’t take me for the gang type.”

“Well, it wasn’t some after school club,” Diamond responded. “I didn’t really have reliable family at the time, so when you’re in my situation you turn to gang life for family.”

“Understandable,” Cheryl answered. She had grown up on the shores of Laguna Beach, gang activity far from her mind while she went to private school.

“Well, we aren’t here for me to talk about my childhood. I think now is a good time to call it for the night,” Diamond said, as she climbed off of Cheryl’s lap. Cheryl sensed a slight change in Diamond’s demeanor, though she was doing a good job at keeping it hidden. Maybe her previous life as a gang member was a touchy subject.

“This is for you,” Cheryl spoke up as Diamond put the silk robe back on tied it around her middle. It was as folded stack of money, adding up to a whopping $5000. Diamond raised her eyebrows at the amount of money but reached out to take the stack from Cheryl’s hand. “Thank you.”

“It was a pleasure, Ms. Blossom,” Diamond replied, slipping back into her confident and seductive demeanor as she pocketed the money.

“You can just call me Cheryl,” she replied, smoothing down her pant suit.

Diamond raised an eyebrow in response, “Does that mean you’ll be coming to see me again?”

Cheryl shrugged as she stood up from the leather chair, “That depends. Do you want to come and see a Manhattan penthouse right now?”

Diamond’s eyebrows rose even higher than before as she scoffed slightly, “Thank you for the offer, but if I went out with everyone who asked me out, I’d never have any free time. I hope you’ll come back and see me again, Ms. Blossom.”

She pushed passed the curtain a moment later, leaving Cheryl in the private room with her confusion. Diamond was right, people didn’t say no to Cheryl very often and she was already feeling a bit deflated from her rejection. She wasn’t as disgruntled as Archie had been, Diamond must be a classy woman. It intrigued Cheryl, Diamond knew exactly who she was and how much she had just tipped her, yet she declined her offer.

She stumbled out of the private room and back towards the booth that she and Archie were sharing. She looked for Diamond on the walk back but didn’t see a sign of the seductive dancer at all. Did the whole exchange between them really just happen?

“Cheryl! I’m so glad I found you. There’s about thirty paparazzi with cameras waiting for you outside,” Reggie said breathlessly, grabbing onto her arm. “They’re here for you and Archie.”


	2. Part 1: Deux

_2._

_“Really, Cheryl? A strip club? I thought your father and I raised you better than that.”_

Cheryl sighed deeply, exhaling sharply thru her nose as she listened to her mother’s much expected lecture. The paparazzi had really been waiting for her outside of the club, taking hundreds of blinding photos of she and Archie as they walked from the entrance of the club into the backseat of her SUV. Archie was looking visibly more drunk than Cheryl was, clutching to her hand tightly as she led him into the back of the car. The general public was eating it up. Even a few representatives from various gossiping news platforms had called the headquarters to see “ _if she wanted to comment on the situation_.” Cheryl had seen the photos of she and Archie that morning, knowing it was only a matter of time before her mom woke up in California and laid her shrewd eyes on them. Sure enough, she had called Cheryl just as she was getting out of her last meeting that morning.

“It was only a _gentlemen’s club_ , mumsy,” Cheryl responded carelessly, crossing her feet and placing them on the surface of her desk. “I was merely supporting an old friend at his perfectly legal and upscale establishment. I wasn’t wandering around looking for some back-alley whore.”

She turned her desk chair slightly so that she was able to look out at the view of the Hudson River. Though Érable’s headquarters was rather inland, her view from her office on the top floor allowed her to have a pretty good view. The February weather cast an endless cover of clouds in the sky, barely allowing any sunlight to penetrate its thick blanket.

 _“I didn’t say that those types of establishments were for cheap favors,”_ Penelope responded, ice in her voice. _“It’s about keeping an image. Your face is plastered all over TMZ, Daily Mail, even the Sun. What the Blossom lineage has built over many decades is very important and your ancestors would be rather disappointed if they heard about one of their successors was…partaking in.”_

Cheryl chuckled, “And when’s the last time you had this conversation with my dear twin, Jason? Or are we forgetting the fact he has two children with a woman he knocked up at a college party. I shouldn’t be your priority on the list of lecturing about the family image. Especially since _I’m_ not the one who’s taking over the family empire.”

Her eyes flashed to the photo of she and her twin brother on her desk. It was a bit of an outdated photo, having been taken on a yacht in St. Barts a few years prior. They were embracing like they were never going to let go, and once upon a time Cheryl once believed that. They didn’t see much of each other anymore, tearing Cheryl’s hope that they’d be together forever. They had grown up joined at the hip, only being ripped apart when Jason had decided to stay in California and go to USC, while Cheryl had left for New York City to attend Parsons School of Design.

Cheryl was the family star compared to Jason, though she didn’t get hardly any of the credit. They had grown to be polar opposites. Jason had barely graduated from USC on time, in favor of partying and going on trips abroad during breaks. He was destined to take over the family maple syrup business but had shown no desire to begin learning the ropes of their father. On the other hand, Cheryl had graduated a semester early from Parsons and had gotten to work on her fashion label right away. It didn’t take her long to make a name for herself apart from her parents, where Jason had been freeloading off of them for the entire twenty-five years that they’d been alive.

 _“Is Jason being photographed leaving strip clubs drunk and stumbling into his car? Is he going against his family and having relations with men?”_ Penelope asked, causing Cheryl to roll her eyes. She had heard that more than enough in her life. _“I don’t know how many times I have to have this conversation with you.”_

There was a short knock on the door and Betty Cooper entered Cheryl’s penthouse office holding a brightly-colored file.

“Mother, you will not be able to have that conversation enough times with me. Anyways, I have to go. I have another meeting in about five minutes,” Cheryl said, interrupting her mother’s rambling. She immediately picked up her tone of voice to something sickening sweet and artificial.   “I’ll be back in Laguna next week after my runway show. You are all invited to come to it in Paris, not that any of you ever show up to any show I put on anyway.”

_“Cheryl Marjorie! I’m not done talking t-!”_

Cheryl pulled her cellphone away from her ear and hung up, effectively silencing her mother. There was only so much she could take of her mother at one time, her tolerance now much lower than it had been growing up.

“I have photographs of the final designs the models will be wearing next Thursday, Ms. Blossom,” Betty said, stepping forward and handing the file to Cheryl. “There was an issue with one of the outfits in the men’s line, but it is currently being repaired as we speak and should be ready to go by tonight. They’ll be on a plane to Paris by tomorrow morning.”

“Good, these should impress the audience,” Cheryl responded, opening the file. Within, countless photos of the designs from her fall collection were presented in front of her. Though she had been doing this for a few years now, it was still something special to see her ideas come to life and be worn by real people. When she was younger, this was only a dream. Now, women wore pastel colored dresses and vibrant high waisted pants, all things Cheryl had designed herself and made a fashion trend.

“Oh, and there’s something else that was delivered to you while you were in your meetings this morning,” Betty said, walking towards the doorway and calling out into the hall. A few seconds later, someone who worked on the floor came in holding a large vase of pale pink roses. One of Cheryl’s perfectly done eyebrows raised slightly as she was hit with the strong smell of overly fragrant flowers. Cheryl took her legs off the desk as the vase was placed in front of her; she could see the little card amongst the green stems.

_Cheryl,_

_We thoroughly enjoyed your appearance at our club this weekend. We hope that you come back and pay us a visit again soon, we’ll be waiting._

_Reggie and Diamond_

They had sent her flowers. Diamond wanted to see her again. Cheryl had to admit, her night with Diamond was one of her best nights despite not much out of the ordinary happening. There was something about the dancer at Reggie’s club that she was drawn to, maybe it was her slightly hard to get personality or how good she looked in lingerie. Cheryl had returned to her apartment in Manhattan with the lingering smell of Diamond’s perfume in her nose and lust pooling between her legs.

“Take these to the break room,” Cheryl said, motioning to the worker who had brought the flowers in. He nodded quickly and picked up the vase, passing Betty to deliver them to where Cheryl had commanded. She looked back at Betty, who judging by the look on her face seemed to find the gesture to be rather sweet. There was a sugary sweet smile plastered on her face, something normal for her always chipper mood.

Betty had only been hired by Cheryl because of Jason. Betty’s sister was the mother of Jason’s twins. Cheryl had met Betty only a few times before she had hired her, mostly on the Blossom compound back in Laguna Beach during the times Betty’s sister Polly was heavily pregnant. During the times Jason and Polly had attempted being in a relationship, though they quickly found a few months after Dagwood and Juniper were born that Jason was not well equipped at being a long-term partner or a father. Cheryl had recently fired her previous assistant and Betty needed a job. Though their relationship was strictly work-related now, Cheryl had to admit she tolerated Betty a lot more than any assistant she had hired previously.

“Two more things before I go,” Betty piped up. “The lunch caterer has just arrived with today’s food and Veronica called the office again while you were in your meetings. She said to pass on the message to call her back.”

“Did you tell her that I would call her back when I wasn’t busy?” Cheryl asked.

“Yes, I told her what I tell her every time she calls your office,” Betty nodded obediently.

“Good,” Cheryl sighed. “If that’s all, you can go. I just need a few minutes to myself before lunch.”

“Of course. Let me know if you want me to grab you a plate,” Betty responded, exiting her office and closing the door behind her.

Cheryl sighed and reached for the card that had been on the flowers, rereading the note from Reggie and Diamond. She had told herself that going to Reggie’s club would be a one-time thing, especially after just being caught by the paparazzi and becoming the latest scandal. However, there was an urge in her chest to go back and see Diamond… maybe just one more time. One more time wouldn’t hurt, and after all, Diamond wanted to see her too.

* * *

 

The trip over the Brooklyn bridge from Manhattan into Brooklyn’s neighborhood of Williamsburg was quiet, quieter than a normal Friday night. It was rare for there to not be much traffic on the bridge and it was even rarer for her driver to stop at red lights every few blocks or so. Cheryl sat in the back seat with the partition rolled up, not in any sort of mood to converse with her driver.

She was engrossed on her phone, checking her social media interactions on her latest Instagram post. The post featured a candid photo of she and Josie, laughing over a bottle of Chateau Lafite with their hands close to their mouths as they tried to hide their smiles. The photo was utterly staged, but the general population was none the wiser.

_Can’t wait to see my âme sœur next week in my favorite city ever. Paris! #PFW_

The post had already gotten over 3 million likes within a few hours of her posting it. Even Josie’s comment under the photo had gained a substantial amount of likes itself.

_Mwah mwah! Cannot wait to be eating macarons and seeing your beautiful designs! xx_

Moments later, her driver pulled down the street Reggie’s club was on before turning down the back alley. She had learned from the last time the paparazzi caught her there; this time there would be extra precautions to ensure it wouldn’t happen again. Growing somewhat wary, Cheryl pocketed her cellphone and unbuckled her seatbelt. The SUV rolled to a stop in front of a metal door with a sign posted on it.

**AUTHORIZED PERSONEL ONLY**

Cheryl gulped as the door opened and Reggie stepped out, this time wearing a navy-blue suit and his hair styled into a tight combover. He looked more put together since the last time she had seen him, with no lipstick marks on his neck or a slightly intoxicated slur to his speech.

He opened the backseat door of her car before she even had time to react.

“Ms. Blossom,” he greeted formally, the same damn smirk on his face. “I was surprised when your assistant called ahead to say you were coming. I didn’t expect you to be back so soon.”

Cheryl gave him her best sweet smile, though she knew the look on her face was rather sour, “What can I say, Reggie? I take notice to kind gestures. And I take notice to beautiful women.”

Reggie chuckled and offered his hand out to Cheryl to help her out of the car, “You’ve been taking notice of them for as long as I’ve known you.”

Cheryl took his hand and stepped out of the car, feet landing soundly on the icy and poorly paved alley, “I have a taste for the finer things.”

Reggie released Cheryl’s hand and reached for the door handle of the intimidating back door, “Well, thanks to your appearance last weekend, my club has seen a 146% increase in patrons. Though, I’m still trying to figure out who told the paps you were here.”

“Probably one of your patrons. Hardly shocking though,” Cheryl responded, walking through the doorway and into the warmer temperature of the club. “People will sell any of my secrets if it meant it’d get them a quick buck. Hell, they’d even sell my secrets back to me if I said I’d pay them.”

“They sure do,” Reggie responded, leading her down the hallway and into a different private room. “Well, Diamond will be with you shortly. Make yourself comfortable, I already know you’ll be having a great time.”

“I’m sure I will, Reginald,” Cheryl winked, letting the curtain fall down and put Reggie out of sight.

Cheryl could hear Reggie’s footsteps retreat towards the main part of the club, leaving her alone in wait for her jewel. All she could take in was the leather couches in the corner, a different set up than the single chair in the previous room. This room was deep purple, with matching carpet to go along with the violet-tinted lighting. Cheryl crossed the room and towards the couches, looking around at the simply decorated room.

“Back so soon?”

Cheryl had barely been sitting on the sectional for a few seconds before the curtain was pushed back and Diamond entered. From the dim lighting in the room, Diamond’s figure was only visible against the light from the hallway. Almost immediately, a wide smile spread across Cheryl’s face and as Diamond stepped farther into the room, she could see one just as big on Diamond’s.

“I brought us some drinks, if you’re feeling thirsty.”

She held up two bottles of Armand de Brignac, the metallic spade reflecting the light. Reggie knew her too well; it was almost scary. Though, she wasn’t complaining. A bottle of Armand de Brignac was practically her kryptonite.

“An absolutely gorgeous girl is walking towards me holding my favorite drink,” Cheryl remarked, eyes raking over Diamond’s curves. “I must be dreaming.”

“Let me be the one to tell you that you’re wide awake,” Diamond responded, setting the two bottles down on the small table in front of the sectional. Two crystal champagne glasses had already been placed next to each other in preparation for this moment. “That’s quite a style change from the last time I saw you, Cheryl. Didn’t come directly from the office this time?”

Cheryl instinctively looked down at her outfit. She had put a lot of thought into it, wanting to make an appropriate impression on Reggie’s favorite dancer. After about twenty minutes of looking around her walk-in closet, she ended up donning on a magenta blouse that buttoned up at the front, high waisted white pants, and of course a tall pair of heels. Tonight, she had even let her hair down, styling her red tresses into soft curls that framed her face and fell down her back.

“I had a dinner before this and needed to change,” Cheryl lied, not wanting to give away just how much time she had spent choosing the outfit for this specific occasion. She had even showered, reapplied her makeup, and spritzed just enough of her favorite perfume on her neck. “These are clothes from my brand.”

Diamond smirked as she stood over Cheryl, eyeing her up and down, “Well your brand makes you look irresistible. I’m definitely a fan.” She reached out and ran her thin fingers over Cheryl’s shoulder blades over the fabric of her blouse, circling the diamond encrusted maple leaf pined near her collar. “Do you always wear this?”

“Always,” Cheryl nodded. “A symbol of what I built.”

Diamond seemed transfixed by the brooch, lightly skating her finger over the diamonds. As she was doing this, Cheryl took a moment to fully register what Diamond was wearing. She was wearing a white silk robe this time, which let Cheryl’s imagination run rampant on what was underneath.

Her eyes followed Diamond’s body as she moved to sit next to her on the couch, thigh flush against Cheryl’s. Cheryl felt her shoulders tingling where Diamond had touched her, anticipating their night together.

“Would you like a glass?” Diamond asked, followed by a loud pop of the cork lodged in the champagne. “I want to see how good your taste in champagne is.”

“You’ll be pleasantly surprised,” Cheryl smiled, reaching for a glass and holding it out to the dancer. “Pour.”

It took a full of bottle of the expensive champagne they were sharing for Cheryl to realize how little Diamond talked about herself. She led the conversation, asking Cheryl about how her life was growing up and her experience in college. Cheryl told her about her twin brother Jason and how she and Josie had met in middle school before either was really famous. Diamond listened intently, sipping on the bubbling champagne and stroking her finger along Cheryl’s shoulder. She was an intense listener, turning her body to face Cheryl and not taking her eyes off of her unless it was to pour more champagne into their glasses. This wasn’t going at all how Cheryl expected, but she didn’t mind having someone to vent to that wasn’t biased in one way or another.  

After the second bottle had been opened, and most of the contents had spilt on the floor because Diamond was not as careful removing the cork, Cheryl felt her sense begin to get familiarly hazy.

“So, what was it like growing up? Wherever it was you grew up?” Cheryl asked, sipping her champagne. By now, Diamond had snuggled up into Cheryl’s side, leaning into the taller woman while balancing her champagne glass. Instinctively, Cheryl’s free arm moved to rest around Diamond’s shoulders, effectively keeping her in their private bubble as they got cozier.

Diamond giggled, a bit of champagne dripping from her glass and onto Cheryl’s white pants. She felt the liquid seep into the fabric on her thigh, creating a pale-yellow stain on the bright white cloth. For some reason, she didn’t care.

“You know, dancers aren’t really supposed to talk about ourselves,” she giggled again, unaware of the stain she had caused on Cheryl’s thigh. In fact, one of her dainty and manicured hands had found its resting place on Cheryl’s thing, close to where her two legs met. “It’s all about keeping up the fantasy.”

“I just talked about my life for over an hour and you can’t share some personal info about yourself?” Cheryl asked, frowning slightly. “It’s not like I’m asking for your real name.”

Diamond smiled, “Did anyone ever tell you that you’re soft?”

Cheryl raised an eyebrow, “No. They haven’t. Why?”

As she was responding, Diamond plucked Cheryl’s glass from her hand and placed both of them on the table in front of the sectional. Cheryl’s tipsy mind could barely process what was going on before Diamond had swung one leg over Cheryl’s lap and pressed her weight down, effectively straddling the female billionaire.

“I’ve watched your interviews, you don’t act like this normally,” Diamond quipped, smirking down at Cheryl. Cheryl’s hands had found their resting place on Diamond’s waist, fingers holding on tightly as the woman above her hovered over her. “You’re always so sharp tongued…almost like an enigma.”

“It’s not an act if that’s what you’re getting at,” Cheryl barely mustered out, too intoxicated by the familiar smell of Diamond’s perfume and the softness of the silk under her fingertips. “That’s who I am.”

“Then why are you so shy with me?” Diamond pried, running her fingernail down Cheryl’s jugular. “Reggie told me all about your rendezvous to strip clubs while you were in college.”

“I’ve just never met a woman as gorgeous as you before. You really put me out of my element,” Cheryl admitted, hands getting more daring as they moved from her waist. With every second that passed, Cheryl’s hands traveled down Diamond’s thighs allowing her to feel the goosebumps erupting over the pink-haired woman’s soft skin.

Diamond smiled widely, she must’ve said the right thing, “Mmm. You know it’s funny, I was thinking the exact same thing when I first saw you while I was on stage. But I think I know why you’re so reserved with me yet so strong-willed with everyone else.”

“Why’s that?”

“You’re not out yet.”

She was right.

“Huh?”

“Cheryl, there’s not one article or interview that confirms your sexuality. Only Archie being your rumored boyfriend and speculation that you like women,” Diamond said, her tone turning serious. “Yet here you are with a woman on your lap who’s been feeling you up for the last hour.”

Cheryl could only let out a small laugh, “You really did your research on me, huh?”

“I wasn’t lying when I said you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life,” Diamond shrugged slightly, hands raking thru Cheryl’s hair near the base of her neck. The sensation was heavenly. “I just wanted to see what you were all about.”

“Yet you won’t tell me anything about yourself,” Cheryl countered. “But, yeah. You’re right. I’m a 25-year-old lesbian who hasn’t told the entire world that I am one. Is that a crime?”

“No…it just feels like you’re sheltering that part of yourself,” Diamond said, a smirk teasing her pale pink lips. “And staying closeted will not help your sexual inexperience either.”

“ _Excuse me_?”

“You heard me. It comes with the softness,” Diamond giggled.

Cheryl scoffed, “I’m not sexually inexperienced.”

“How many women have you been with?” Diamond asked bluntly, hands still scratching lightly at the base of Cheryl’s neck.

“I-I…one,” Cheryl admitted, feeling Diamond’s hands begin to massage at her head. “But that doesn’t mean that I’m sexually inexperienced.”

This time, Diamond rose an eyebrow in suspicion.

“Oh really?” she asked. “Who was she?”

“Her n-…,” Cheryl paused, shifting slightly under Diamond’s weight. “If I tell you, will you tell me something about yourself?”

Diamond shrugged, a wicked grin on her face.

“Maybe.”

“She…Her name was Veronica,” Cheryl said, the words coming out rather quickly. A rush of heat had gone straight to her core, in all honesty she had only expected another lap dance again. “We dated for two years and called it off almost a year ago now. We were so busy all the time and she was…high maintenance.”

“Really? You didn’t get laid until you were like twenty-two?” Diamond asked. “I find that hard to believe.”

Cheryl felt her cheeks go pink, “In college I was just coming to terms with it, and I was too scared that whoever I slept with would tell the world about my secret. So, I waited until I trusted someone enough, who I know wouldn’t out me. It just so happened to be Veronica.”

“The Oscar nominated Veronica Lodge?” Diamond gasped. “I’m like, such a big fan of her.”

“You’re right though. I guess I’m considered sexually inexperienced. Not because of my lack of partners just…we were so busy encounters were few and far between,” Cheryl admitted.

Diamond nodded, hands pulling away from Cheryl’s neck and traveling down her body. She placed her hands-on top of Cheryl’s which had been skating up and down her thighs lightly. Diamond picked up Cheryl’s hands and brought them to the tight bow keeping her white robe in place.

“Do you want some help with that sexual inexperience?” Diamond asked, her voice becoming hushed, almost hesitant. Cheryl gulped, toying at the silk material of her belt. “Untie it. It’s ok.”

Feeling a bit bolder and absentmindedly wanting to prove something to Diamond, Cheryl tugged sharply on the end of the belt. The bow undid itself, allowing Diamond’s robe to fall open and for Cheryl to see what was on underneath.

She was wearing a pale pink bra with matching panties, a color that made her skin seem even more luscious. Dustings of small rhinestones adorned the front of her bra, drawing the attention to her boobs which were pushed up in order to show off as much cleavage as possible. Cheryl’s eyes traveled downwards, admiring the belly button ring and small bottoms. She didn’t know how she was going to take her eyes off of her.

Diamond reached behind, allowing the robe to fall off her shoulders. She tossed it behind her, effectively discarding it and leaving her in just the lingerie set.

“If it’s ok with you, I don’t want to be the only one showing some skin,” Diamond said seductively, reaching for the buttons of Cheryl’s blouse.

Cheryl felt her abdominal muscles tighten under Diamond’s touch, watching as she unbuttoned each button one by one. When she had reached the last one, Diamond slowly pushed the fabric away from her body, revealing the bra Cheryl had spent ten minutes picking out only a few hours before.

Cheryl watched Diamond lick her lips as her eyes remained locked on her chest, taking in the black lace push-up bra. It was the most skin Diamond had seen of her. Diamond smirked once more, leaning forward and getting practically nose to nose with the billionaire. Her nose brushed Cheryl’s cheek, before she turned her head and whispered into Cheryl’s ear.

“I think I can show you a thing or two,” she giggled, low and melodic before placing a hot open-mouthed kiss under Cheryl’s earlobe. The hairs on the back of Cheryl’s neck instantly shot upright, sending chills down her spin and heat to her core.

Cheryl’s hands flew back up to grip Diamond’s waist tightly, eager to see where this would go with a woman that she found oh _so_ attractive.

Before she had time to think, Diamond ground her hips onto Cheryl’s lap, shooting pleasure into the deepest part of her body as Diamond effortlessly rubbed Cheryl’s bundle of nerves with her pelvic bone.

“ _Shit_ ,” Cheryl hissed, red nails digging into Diamond’s skin.

Diamond let out a soft gasp, “When’s the last time you got yourself off, Cher?”

The pet name caused Cheryl’s ear to perk up. No one had ever called her that before, at least not in a long time.

“After I left this club last week,” Cheryl admitted, doing her best to act like she was in control.

“A week ago? With how much stress you must deal with on the daily?” Diamond gasped, grinding her hips down again. This one elicited a whimper from Cheryl, whose mind was swimming with lust and desire. “That’s unacceptable. If I were you, I’d be getting off every night in order to relieve that stress.”

“I guess I don’t really have much ti-… _oh_ ,” Cheryl gasped, as Diamond’s pelvis brushed a particular spot that sent pleasure shooting up her body. She had begun slowly rocking her hips on Cheryl’s lap, moving around slightly in order to find the best position. “Why should I be getting off alone when I could have someone like you helping me every night?”

The comment was bold, bold for Cheryl at least. She was never spectacular at chatting up women, mostly because she didn’t want to give away the fact that she liked women. Veronica had done all of the chatting up when they first met.

Diamond laughed pushing her pelvis down even harder, “You’d _love_ that wouldn’t you.”

“You wouldn’t?” Cheryl asked, feeling even bolder as pleasure rocked thru her body. She wasn’t sure if it was because Diamond was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen in the world, or if the alcohol was helping, or both. Whatever it was, Diamond seemed to like it and Cheryl did not want to stop making this woman feel good.

Diamond didn’t respond, instead she leaned back forward and placed another open mouth kiss on Cheryl, this time on her jawbone. Cheryl turned her head to the left, allowing Diamond better access as she allowed herself to feel the pleasure building up in her body, take in the smell of Diamond’s hair and her perfume, feel her lips on her neck and jawline as they nipped and sucked their way around, enjoy the sound of the music, and wish that this moment would never end.

An intense heat washed over her body as she got closer to her climax, and she felt herself begin to sweat from the stimulation. Diamond had stopped kissing her neck now, instead focusing on the feeling of their bodies together. Making another bold move, Cheryl leaned forward and placed a kiss on Diamond’s collar bone. They were protruding out nicely, begging to be touched in some way. She ran a wet tongue along her left collar bone, smirking slightly as she felt Diamond shudder and moan. The sound was music to Cheryl’s ears, causing her to sink her teeth down lightly on the same spot. Her mouth continued to roam Diamond’s skin, traveling down to the exposed part of her breasts.

 _“Fuck,_ ” Diamond hissed, hips beginning to pick up some speed.

They both were close, Cheryl could tell. It didn’t take long before Cheryl could feel all the buildup begin to crash down, and the flood gates opened a few moments later. She felt the release of her orgasm take over, mouth letting go of Diamond’s skin as it fell open. She let out of an audible moan, before biting down on Diamond’s shoulder to silence herself. She could feel Diamond shaking above her, having reached her own climax.

Did that really just happen? Did she really just get an orgasm instead of a lap dance?

“Holy shit,” Cheryl gasped out, still panting for breath. “Did you just give me an orgasm without even kissing me?”

Diamond giggled, already recomposing herself while Cheryl was still recovering, “I didn’t even take your pants off either. You’re welcome. It looked like you definitely needed that.”

She kissed Cheryl’s cheek quickly before climbing off of the self-made billionaire. Cheryl watched Diamond pick up her silk robe and pull it back over her shoulders.

“Are you leaving?” Cheryl asked, coming back to her senses. She looked down at her heaving chest, noticing purpling bite marks on her chest and collarbones.

Diamond giggled and readjusted her pink hair, “The club’s closing soon, babe. We’ve been back here for a while. I’m glad you had fun though.”

Cheryl sat up, reaching for her discarded blouse, “I did…I did really need that. You were amazing.”

“As were you. You cumming from just me dry humping on you has me soaked,” Diamond winked, casually enough for a comment so lustful. “Will you come back to see me again next weekend?”

Cheryl looked up from buttoning her blouse, “Oh…about that. I’m leaving for Paris in a few days. My label is having a runway show to debut my fall collection. After that I’m going back to Laguna Beach to visit my family for a while and relax.”

Diamond frowned and almost looked taken aback, “Oh. I forgot celebrities have such busy schedules.”

“Yeah…”

“Well, you’ve been so amazing I think you’ve earned this,” Diamond said, pulling a tube of lipstick out of her robe. She took a few seconds to reapply a layer to her plump lips before walking over to the table where the bottles of champagne were. She bent over the table and began to write on one of the cocktail napkins with her tube of lipstick, smearing large pieces all over the white paper.

When she was done writing, she capped the tube and placed it back in her robe before picking up the napkin.

“Here.”

She bent down over Cheryl, cleavage in her face and ass in the air. Cheryl gulped, but took the napkin from her hand.

“Now you’ll be able to stay in contact with me, because believe me I’ll be missing you coming to visit me. And, I don’t give out my number to just anyone, so use it wisely,” Diamond purred, before leaning forward and placing a firm kiss on Cheryl’s cheek.

Cheryl could feel the stick remnants of the lipstick mark on her cheek as Diamond pulled away. She reached into her pants pocket as Diamond stepped back, pulling out another stack of $5000.

“In that case, this is for you.”

“Cheryl, you gave me the biggest tip of my life last week. You don’t need to do it again,” Diamond answered, pushing the money back towards her. “I’m not worth that much.”

“Are you kidding?” Cheryl scoffed, a smile hinting at the corners of her lips. “You’re worth far more than this. I just thought it would be weird if I tipped if you $100,000.”

Diamond giggled and Cheryl could see her cheeks go red, “Shut up.”

Cheryl’s lips turned upwards in a small smile, “If it makes you feel better, $5,000 is like 50 cents to me. Take it.”

She pushed the money towards Diamond once more, who this time took it and pocketed it with her lipstick tube.

“You are literally so sweet,” Diamond said. “And I mean that, Blossom.”

“It’s the least I can do,” Cheryl said, standing up. “Now will you tell me something about you. Literally anything.”

Diamond looked up at Cheryl with her soft doe-like eyes, so brown and innocent despite what they had just done on that sectional. She bit her lip softly, as if contemplating what to tell Cheryl about herself.

“My name’s Toni."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi it's me. So this fic is going to be way longer than I anticipated. It's going to have 3 parts. Yes 3. This story has expanded much more than what it was originally as I've developed the plot and i don't want to leave anything out, so I will be dividing it into 3 parts. 
> 
> Also, for those who may think Cheryl seems a bit OOC with how she's acted with Toni, just think about what it's like for someone to explore their sexuality while being closeted. Cheryl is very much the same character she is in Riverdale, just not when she's around Toni. She's a bit more reserved...but that won't last. There will be character development.
> 
> Anyways, I want to get your feedback on what I've written so far. How do you think Veronica will play into this? Who do you think snitched to the paps about where Cheryl was? How do you think this story will progress?
> 
> Feel free to ask me any questions in the comments, I'll answer. Or leave a comment in general letting me know hwo you liked it. That would mean a lot.
> 
> (I will edit this for grammar and spelling when I wake up, I just wanted to get this chapter out there and it's almost 1am)
> 
> xx


	3. Part 1: Trois

Cheryl watched anxiously as each model walked passed her and thru the curtain that led to the runway stage. She examined each one from head to toe, giving a quick scan with her eyes as they left the backstage area. Countless assistants were adjusting belts, straps, and headpieces on the models as they prepared to do their runway walk. Things never went right in the fashion industry; they had already had a brief scare when one of the outfits had gone MIA for a few minutes. But now, things were going smoother than they normally were. Though smooth meant over a dozen people running around while Cheryl just stood back and observed. One by one each model exited the curtain and onto the stage, only to return thirty seconds later. Despite the smoothness of the show, Cheryl’s nerves never subsided no matter how many runway shows she had under her belt.

She began to chew on her thumbnail lightly, running her tongue over the cherry red acrylic. Her long, red nails were a staple of her image, almost like Ariana Grande’s high ponytail. Though the nails were plastic and she could never chew thru them, the motion of her teeth calmed her slightly. Nail biting had been something she was guilty of since she was a little girl. The nasty habit never really went away as she subconsciously bit on her fake nails.

Cheryl watched the last model walk thru the curtain wearing a cream long-sleeved cardigan and dark blue jeans, signaling an end to her runway show. The anticipation was killing her, as was it for everyone else who had been assisting with the models since that morning. Cheryl smoothed down the flaps of her black pant suit, making sure there were no wrinkles in the patterned material. She glanced at a nearby mirror, correcting her white button up that was tucked expertly behind a belt. Her hair was still in place thanks to hairspray and the intricate French braid her hair and makeup artist had done. She looked incredible, sophisticated, powerful. She carried status, poise, composure, an empire with her. The level of success she had achieved as a young woman who hadn’t even hit her thirties yet was unheard of.

She felt her nerves floating away as she looked at herself in the mirror. Her parents had fucked up on a lot of things, but one thing that they didn’t fuck up on was the genetics that were given that made Cheryl in the womb. Unmatched not even by her twin brother.

“They’re ready for you,” Betty spoke, coming to stand next to her. She clutched her iPad and stylus close to her body. Baby hairs were going in every direction, having escaped from her traditional tight ponytail. She too had been running around with all of the other workers that day. The last model had returned to the backstage area, smiling and hugging another model in excitement. The audience on the other side of the curtain had begun to clap, the sound making it to the backstage where Cheryl stood. “They loved it.”

Cheryl’s lips twitched upwards in a small smile. Of course, they loved it. Her brand wasn’t as well-known as Gucci for nothing. Érable was becoming a fashion phenomenon, all built from the ground up by none other than one of the most influential women in America. She rubbed elbows with A-list singers, actors, athletes, and influencers. She once wore a floral-patterned head scarf one day to hide a bad hair day, and by the next week it had become the latest fashion trend of the summer. Fashion magazines quoted it as “a taste of the 1950’s.” Her designs had already received countless amounts of praise and even passionate, opinionated criticism. But people couldn’t stop wearing Cheryl’s luxury clothing no matter what they thought about her company. Her key to success with runway shows was to show off what everyday people would be wearing. She never liked the ridiculousness of making a runway show more like an art gallery, with models who were dressed up in fire engine red with flashing lights and hair that was so elaborate it had to be made into a wig. Cheryl’s models went out wearing things the viewer could see themselves wearing, and it worked every time. This time was no different. _Of course, they loved it_.

Putting on her camera-ready smile, Cheryl walked thru the curtain and out on the runway stage. She was greeted by dozens of cheering people, all surrounding the stage she walked out on. Hundreds of flashing lights went off in front of her eyes as cameras tried to capture the best shot of her for their articles. Some people whistled, some shouted praise. All were up on their feet, giving her a standing ovation as she walked the lit-up runway, waving and blowing kisses. It was her favorite part of the shows, receiving the validation that she had craved so desperately as a child.

When she reached the end of the runway, she bowed gracefully. She had practiced that bow many times in her hotel room the night before, perfecting it in front of the mirror to make sure that it looked fluid and gracious. She kept her perfect pearly-white smile on her face as she straightened back up, shouting thank you’s to everyone in the front row. Her eyes landed on Josie, her best friend and amazingly talented singer. She was front and center just as Cheryl had requested, clapping wildly and screaming “that’s my girl!”

Cheryl’s eyes immediately flickered over to who was standing next to her, heart skipping a beat at the red-haired man clapping just as animatedly.

 _Jason_? Cheryl was utterly surprised to see her twin brother standing only a few feet away. He rarely left the border of southern California unless it was to vacation. She was almost sure this was the first time Jason had even visited Paris, as he had bailed on their last “sibling vacation” to the French city. The sight of her other half made her want to tear up and run into his arms. The last time she had seen him was at Christmas, where they had spent a rather tense holiday with their parents while watching Juniper and Dagwood open their _many_ Christmas presents.

Jason was beaming widely at her and blowing her kisses, wearing attire that was definitely inappropriate for a Paris Fashion Week runway show. But then again, Jason was also the one who wore Yeezy Boost’s to their grandmother’s funeral, the ones that Cheryl had gotten for him from Kanye himself. Jason’s sense of style had always been rather “out there” as Cheryl put it. They were polar opposites when it came to style. Her sense of style was bold, yet in a tasteful way. Jason on the other hand liked to wear the most expensive things no matter if the clothing items went together in a tasteful way or not. This time was no different.

His distressed jeans had two gaping holes near the knees, showing off the tattooed Eye of Horus and cherry blossom tree on his legs. His jacket matched his jeans, which was made of the same distressed denim. The jean jacket covered his white Gucci t-shirt, which proudly displayed the logo in gold lettering. The Dolce and Gabbana black velvet slippers showed exactly what Cheryl meant when she said Jason had an “out there” fashion sense.

She could barely process much more, instead turning around to strut back down the runway and into the backstage area. She had done it. She was about to make a shit ton of money.

* * *

 

“Ah! Girl, oh my god! You did absolutely _amazing!_ Can I _please_ get one of those pea coats that one model was wearing?” Josie asked quickly, as she tightly wrapped Cheryl into a bone-crushing hug. “Absolutely gorgeous.”

Cheryl beamed widely as she hugged her best friend back, “Of course you can. Wow, you look absolutely amazing. I’m so glad you came.”

“Why thank you, Ms. B,” Josie said playfully, releasing Cheryl from her tight hug in order to strike a slight pose. “It seems some of your fashion sense has rubbed off onto me.”

Josie was dressed much more for the occasion than Jason was, opting to wear an ice blue mink coat (faux of course), with a black turtleneck, and black dress pants. Her smoky eyeshadow really brought the look together, drawing more attention to her long braids. Since her very public split with Archie, she had seemed to have gotten happier. It made Cheryl happy for her.

“Do I get a hug too, super star?” Jason asked, stepping forward and pointing both thumbs at himself.

Cheryl’s smile only grew as she practically jumped into Jason’s arms, hugging him tighter than Josie had hugged her. There was something about being back with Jason that made her feel better, even though the moments were fleeting and far between. They spent most of their time apart, but it was nice knowing how easy it was to forget all of that on the few days they did spend together.

“When did you decide to come? You guys never show up for my events,” Cheryl asked, releasing Jason from his tight hug.

“It was a last-minute decision. Mom said she talked to you and you had made a passive comment about us never coming to anything. I wanted to surprise my twin sister and show my support,” Jason replied, punching her shoulder playfully.

“Well I appreciate you coming,” Cheryl said, turning back to Josie. “Both of you.”

“I’m really impressed though, Cher,” Jason said, nodding in approval. “I should come to these more often.”

“Maybe you should start by wearing some of the outfits I send you from the lines before they even come out,” Cheryl commented. “I don’t send you guys all of those clothes in your exact sizes for nothing.”

“Alright, I hate to interrupt this adorable little sibling reunion, but I called ahead a few days ago and got us a dinner reservation at _Guy Savoy_ ,” Josie spoke up, smiling brightly. “Maybe we can head on over now and celebrate this great milestone in Cheryl’s career.”

“Doesn’t _Guy Savoy_ have like a ridiculously long waiting list?” Cheryl asked.

“Not for guests that are a pop sensation and the owner of a fashion empire,” Josie smirked, typing away on her phone.

“Um, what about me?’ Jason asked.

Josie waved him off, “They don’t care about guys who freeload off their parents’ money and are famous for hosting wild parties with topless women.”

“Touché I guess,” Jason shrugged. “I guess you’re really the better twin now, huh?”

Cheryl scoffed, “Yeah, tell mom and dad that.”

“There’s a cab outside for us. Let’s get going Blossoms,” Josie said, motioning for them to head towards the exit.

“Ok they may let _us_ in, but there is no way you’re going to be allowed in that restaurant wearing a Canadian tuxedo,” Cheryl remarked, causing Jason to scoff.

“Canadian tuxedo? You should know that denim on denim is back in right now,” Jason countered.

“Not when you have a hole in your jeans so high up I can see your boxers,” Cheryl sighed. “Aren’t you glad you have a twin like me? One who can easily get you an outfit for the occasion?”

Jason rolled his eyes, “You’re going to make me wear a suit, aren’t you?”

* * *

 

Cheryl did make Jason wear a suit. Though, she would’ve dressed him in anything if it meant he was no longer sporting those ridiculous ripped jeans. It honestly shocked her that despite being in his mid-twenties and a father, he still dressed himself like he was at the oldest nineteen.

She found it refreshing to see her twin brother in something rather dapper, with muted colors instead of fluorescent green. Cheryl looked him over as she sipped her artichoke soup, letting the delicious appetizer comfort her and begin to satisfy her large appetite.

Everything he was wearing was something that had been shown on the runway show just an hour before. Miraculously, one of the models had almost the exact same measurements as Jason. So, there he sat across from her looking slightly uncomfortable as he threw back four raw oysters like a shot. Cheryl thought he looked amazing; the grey herringbone suit drew most of the attention to his fiery red hair. The model who had worn the suit had slightly broader shoulders than Jason, making him look a bit more muscular than he was.

Josie talking about her upcoming album gave Cheryl a moment to relax, to enjoy her food, and to check her phone. Many people were tagging her in photos from the events, and Betty had texted her multiple times regarding a cocktail party that was being hosted by Tommy Hilfiger that night.

**Tell Tommy thank you for the invitation, but I’m going to go back to my hotel room and take some time for myself after this dinner. Also say that we’ll catch up once I’m back in NYC. Something like that. Make it sweet. I’m honestly so exhausted, I haven’t slept well since last week**

Cheryl took another sip of her soup as she scrolled thru her texts, clicking on one she had received while the runway show was going on. She glanced at both Jason and Josie, who were too wrapped up in their conversation, before opening the message.

Toni’s name on her phone was simply the diamond emoji. She felt it was fitting, as their relationship was strictly…professional? If you could call that. Cheryl didn’t really know what to consider it, other than she was on texting terms with someone who gave her lap dances.

Toni’s message included a picture, a very risky one at that too. It made Cheryl glad that there was no one standing behind her, as the photo was definitely NSFW. The photo was of the reflection of a mirror in a bathroom, with Toni being front and center. Her pale pink hair was damp, her skin dotted with water droplets along her protruding collarbones and down her stomach. The arm that wasn’t holding her phone was placed expertly across her chest, covering her breasts and pushing them up slightly. The photo allowed Cheryl to see all the way passed her diamond studded belly button ring but ended just after it.

            **Come back soon :(**

The photo was unexpected but appreciated regardless. Cheryl felt the familiar heat rush to her core, similar to every time she was in the presence of the dancer. A sudden urge to text Betty to fly Toni out to see her Paris came over, but she stopped before she could even compose the message. She chewed on her bottom lip slightly, debating a response to the attractive dancer. She knew she shouldn’t be allowing her lust to control her like that, despite wanting to repeat what happened the last time she was her. Celebrities didn’t bring their desires with them on the road, especially when it involved business. That was for romantic partners, not for those whose sole purpose was to please her. She was in Paris for business, not for pleasure.

Making up her mind, Cheryl locked her phone and pocketed it. She was with Josie and Jason, two very important people in her life that she didn’t get to see enough. At this moment, it was about her best friend and twin brother, not about her desires.

“If everything goes well, I think it’ll be released in April,” Josie said to Jason, with a large amount of pride in her tone. “So, mark your calendars because this album is going to be record breaking.”

“Literally everything you put out is amazing, Josie,” Cheryl piped up, attempting to include herself in the conversation again. “It’s only a matter of time before you get a Grammy.”

By the main course, the conversation had turned to Jason’s life. Though his life was less than interesting, he did have new photos of his two children. Juniper and Dagwood, though having absolutely ridiculous names, were almost as cute as she and Jason had been as children. In fact, they reminded her a lot of them as children. They were now almost six, already starting kindergarten at a private school near where they lived with Polly in Huntington Beach. Cheryl rarely got to see her niece and nephew, though she probably saw them more than Jason did. For the most part, she watched them grow up thru photos Polly sent to them.

“Look at this, Dagwood brought this home from school the other day,” Jason smiled, turning his phone to show a picture to she and Josie. “He made a drawing of he and his favorite person.”

It was a crude drawing with crayon, but that was expected of a 6-year-old. The photo consisted of two people, holding hands and with big red smiles. They were stick figures done in blue crayon, with brown circles for eyes and orange scribbles for hair. Above the shorter stick figure was the word “ME” in purple crayon, and “DADDY” above the taller stick figure.

“Aw, that is literally so adorable,” Josie cooed, reaching across to zoom in on the drawing.

“Isn’t that great?” Jason beamed. “His daddy is his favorite person.”

Cheryl did her best to smile, though the sight of the photo brought much less than happiness. In fact, she felt rather bad for her niece and nephew. They only saw Jason on holidays and birthdays, or on weekends when their mother had begged Jason to have them brought down to their compound in Laguna Beach. Other than that, he was a rather absent father. Polly did everything herself with help from a fulltime nanny whom Jason paid for.

However, it made sense that Dagwood thought of his father as the best person ever. Whenever Jason did see them, he was the equivalent of Santa Claus. They’d spend their time together going for ice cream, swimming, going to zoos, and Disneyland. Their 5th birthday party consisted of a full-blown petting zoo on one of the sprawling lawns at the Blossom compound, complete with six large bounce castles and many people dressed in various Disney character costumes.

Not only did Jason bring them everywhere fun, but he always brought gifts when he saw them. Both Juniper and Dagwood had at least eight toy electric cars that they rode around in the house they lived at with Polly. He never said no them, never disciplined them even when Dagwood had loudly yelled the word “shit” over and over after overhearing it from Cheryl’s father. Jason left the parenting to Polly, opting to be the fun parent. Of course Dagwood thought he was the best person ever. It pained Cheryl to watch this, as the idolizing of their father probably wouldn’t last once they got older and realized just how absent Jason actually was in their lives. And how a fat child support check substituted for his lack of interest in parenting.

“That’s great, JJ,” Cheryl said, sipping on her glass of champagne. “They’re lucky to have a dad like you.”

* * *

 

Though she said she was going to go to bed the second she got back to her hotel suite, Cheryl found herself bent over her laptop until the early hours of the morning. It was getting close to 4am and she hadn’t stopped yet, too engrossed in responding to emails and reading countless articles about her runway show. Betty was right, they had loved it. Of course, there were always a few people who didn’t have nice things to say about her clothing line. _“Painfully dull once again.”_ One person had written. _“What Érable lacks in originality is compensated by the dramatic hype of the brand itself. Cheryl Blossom could release a garbage bag as a shirt and millions of people would buy it for thousands of dollars.”_ Another had written. Cheryl liked these articles the best, in fact she was obsessed with reading each of the articles that criticized her. It pushed her to continue to seek that perfection, to have no one thinking similar things she knew her mother thought. She knew she would never reach that level of perfection, but it didn’t stop her obsession.

Her cellphone next to her laptop suddenly lit up, why was someone calling her so late? She picked up her phone and looked at the screen thru her wide-framed glasses. A single diamond emoji was the only indication of who was calling her, making Cheryl’s freeze as they hovered over the keys of her laptop. She was replying to an important email from the CFO of her company regarding their upcoming board meeting.

She picked up her phone and slid her thumb across the screen, answering the call just before it went to voicemail.

“Hello?” Cheryl answered, looking at the clock on her laptop. It wasn’t too late in New York City, it was barely 11pm.

 _“Hey, it’s me, I just-…oh fuck, it’s like super late over there isn’t it? Did I wake you?”_ Toni’s melodic voice answered.

“No no, you’re fine. I’ve been up all night,” Cheryl responded waving her off. She leaned back in her desk chair and turned herself to face the large window. She could see the Eiffel Tower sparkling as it did every hour, her hotel being about a mile from the tower itself. “What’s the occasion for this call?”

“ _Oh alright, that makes me feel a little bit better,”_ Toni answered. _“I just thought I’d call to thank you for the clothes you had sent to Reggie’s club from your label. They’re all so beautiful.”_

Cheryl smiled slightly, “Consider it a kind gesture and another thank you for our night together last week.”

“Well, thank you,” Toni giggled. “So how is fashion week going? When do you leave Paris?”

“In a couple days. I have to attend a few events and appear for an interview, but after that I’ll jet to my parent’s compound,” Cheryl replied. “You’re not going to believe who came to my show.”

_“Who?”_

“My brother Jason,” Cheryl said with enthusiasm. “The last time he’s shown up at any of my events was while he was still in college.”

“ _That’s amazing. It sounds like you’re having an amazing time,”_ Toni cooed. _“I remember how highly you spoke of him the other week. It must be nice to have a sibling.”_

“It’s a blessing and a curse. Especially with him,” Cheryl giggled.

 _“How long will you be in California for?”_ Toni wondered.

 “Um…I’m not sure,” Cheryl shrugged. “I’m on an indefinite vacation, but I’ll most likely return once being around my family is too much.”

Toni laughed, “ _Trust me, I can understand that…But, you haven’t said anything about that photo I sent you. Did I overstep?”_

“What? Of course not. I’m sorry for the lack of response, it’s been pretty stressful over here,” Cheryl said, placing her legs on top of the cedar desk. “You looked gorgeous. You almost convinced me to come back.”

Toni giggled mischievously, “ _Well, is there anything I can do to take the stress away? Maybe get you skipping your Californian vacation in favor of Manhattan?”_

“Depends on what that is,” Cheryl replied, raising her eyebrows slightly. “You’re not at the club tonight?”

“ _I’m only there on Friday and Saturday nights_ ,” Toni answered.

Cheryl stood up from the desk, wrapping her free arm around her middle as she gazed at the Paris city, “What are you wearing?”

She could practically hear Toni’s eyebrows raising thru the phone. She stammered for a second, “ _Woah there. How blunt of you_.”

Cheryl smirked, “Let’s not pretend the stress relief you were going to suggest was anything less than PG-13.”

“ _Well there’s that bold woman I’ve seen in interviews. Is it because we’re not face to face?”_ Toni asked, tease laced in her voice.

“Maybe,” Cheryl replied, shrugging.

Toni paused, “ _If you want to know what I’m wearing, you’d be pleasantly surprised that I’m lounging on my bed in absolutely nothing.”_

Cheryl’s mouth went dry and she gulped slightly, the image of the seductive dancer flashing thru her mind. “Show me.”

“ _Show you?_ ” Toni echoed. _“How do you want me to do that?”_

“Take a picture. Like you did before,” Cheryl urged, relishing in the fact she had the upper hand tonight. Toni had definitely not expected it, probably thinking Cheryl didn’t have that side of her. In truth, there was a lot more to that side of her than she let on…however she liked to be dominated every so often.

 _“Mmm you enjoyed that first one, huh?”_ Toni teased. Cheryl could sense the fact she liked it but could also hear her trying to take the upper hand herself. _“Do I get one in return?”_

Cheryl laughed, “It’s too risky, beautiful. iCloud hacks happen more often than not. And people would probably pay top dollar for a topless picture of me.”

 _“I know I would,”_ Toni admitted, giggling. _“I get it. Let me see if I can let you know what you’re missing.”_

A minute of silence passed, with only the sound of rustling coming from Toni’s end. There was a slight giggle followed by Cheryl’s phone vibrating against her ear. Cheryl’s lips turned upward in a smirk as she pulled the phone away from her ear to look at the notification.

It was a picture message from Toni. Cheryl opened it eagerly, being displayed with an equally suggestive photo than before.

The photo was dimly lit, only allowed Cheryl to see the curves of her body. The photo was taken of Toni’s body below her chest as she laid on the bed. Her legs were slightly spread and covered by a white duvet. Tucked under the blanket was one of her hands, placed delicately on her most private area. 

“You look gorgeous,” Cheryl said, she had never meant it more than in that moment. 

Toni giggled, “You’re not too bad yourself, Blossom.”

”Where exactly is that hand?”

”Shit,” Toni hissed suddenly. “I have to go. I have an important call. I’m so sorry. I’ll text you tomorrow?”

”Uh yeah?”

The call disconnected half a second later, signaled by a low thee beeps. It left Cheryl standing in her dark hotel room, suddenly alone and rather turned on. She removed the phone from her ear slowly, still looking out at the city. What just happened? Was Toni expecting another call from one of her patrons? The thought brought a surge of hot heat to her chest and face. Her fist clentched tightly as she took a deep breath. 

No. She was not going to get jealous. Of course Toni saw other people, that was her job. Cheryl shouldn’t be getting upset by it, their relationship as electric as it was, was purely business based. Cheryl paid and Toni performed. Despite her reassuring herself and unclutching her fist, she couldn’t help but have a slight feeling of want in her stomach. Want to make Toni the only client she wanted. Cheryl blamed the champagne she had been sipping on while working on her laptop. That or the crave to have someone who was just for her...maybe she should text Veronica back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi I'm in the airport waiting to fly home to the east coast for spring break and i just ate an edible so i wanted to upload this before we took off and I passed out. thank you so much for all the feedback so far!
> 
> let me know what you thought of this chapter so I can read some comments once I land. 
> 
> My update schedule is going to once or twice a week. Probably Wednesday and Saturday. That’s tentative though! I still haven’t figured it out. But most likely those days 
> 
> \- kylie xx


	4. Part 1: Quatre

_4._

Toni never left the Speakeasy before 5am. With the club closing at 4, it took at least an hour to change out of her outfit and count up the tips she had received that night. By the time she left thru the backdoor of the club, other New Yorkers were beginning to wake up for their day jobs. Tonight, she had been in Reggie’s club until 5:30, leaving with a backpack containing all of her tips she had made that night.

The late February air was crisp and cold, with wind so brutal it went right thru Toni’s black winter coat. It made wearing a beanie an essential, though even a hat couldn’t keep the cold feeling from causing her body to shiver. She kept her head down and her hands in her pockets as she walked the dimly lit streets of Brooklyn and towards the subway station a few blocks away. It was still very dark, with no sign of sunlight coming over the horizon. Her left hand gripped a bottle of pepper spray tightly, ready to use it if anyone tried anything with her on her journey home.

She reached the subway station steps a few minutes later, descending down into the tunnel quickly as she heard the N train approaching the platform. Without hesitation, she placed two hands on the side of the turnstile and jumped, successfully making it over the bars to avoid having to pay. Her reasoning for not paying? Money was tight. Even with the two large tips she had received in the last two weeks.

Her trip on the subway was uneventful, as it usually was. Not many people rode the N train this early, but she still clutched her backpack to her chest protectively. Most people didn’t bother women on the subway, but there were still some oddballs she encountered every so often. People minded their own business, especially when she was dressed the way she was.

Toni always found it amusing just how different she was from her sexy and seductive alter ego. Diamond was very feminine, dainty, and inviting. Toni on the other hand was independent, strong-willed, and low maintenance. It had a lot to do with how she grew up, having lived in a trailer in a seedy part of town for most of her life. She even dressed far differently than Diamond. Her daily attired consisted of combat boots, jeans, and t-shirts on most days. Occasionally she would wear fishnets of some kind, but those days were rare especially in the dead of winter.

Being so different from Diamond allowed Toni to disassociate from her work. Diamond was what her patrons lusted after, what they wanted to have in their bed, what they craved. Toni was just making their fantasy come to life, immediately shedding the persona the moment she stepped out of the lingerie at the end of the night. Acting as Diamond was draining, even though it was only two nights a week. She grew tired of older men groping her, telling her she was beautiful while handing over hundreds of dollars.

Sweet Pea was already awake when she entered their shared apartment a few minutes after six. He was always up by the time she got home from the club, his work day as an auto mechanic starting promptly at 7am. Toni had known him since they were little, having grown up in the same trailer park. He was the closest thing she had to a brother, they went together like peanut butter and jelly. Partners in crime as Sweet Pea liked to call them.

“Morning,” he spoke up from their kitchen, sipping a hot mug of black coffee.

She returned the greeting as she walked past the archway that led to their rather small kitchen. A few steps into the apartment, she was already in the living room. Toni threw her backpack onto their secondhand couch before falling onto the space next to it in exhaustion.

“Get another visit from that billionaire?” Sweet Pea asked, following her into the living room. His steps were loud and purposeful, probably having to do with the oily work boots he wore and the fact he was well over 6 feet tall.

Toni sighed, “No. I told you she’s in Paris, remember?”

“Ah, I forgot,” he answered, sipping his coffee again.

“I need to stop at the bank on Monday so I can deposit all of this cash,” she said, sitting up to open the backpack. “They’re going to shut off the water and electricity on Tuesday if we don’t pay the bill.”

With the money Cheryl had generously tipped, she was able to pay off their accumulating rent that had been late. Living in New York City cost a pretty penny, even when living in a shitty rundown apartment with heat that came from old radiators. Though Sweet Pea had a full-time job and Toni did as well on top of her stripping job, they still struggled to pay their bills on time. In fact, their landlord had been threatening to evict them as their rent payments were mostly late than on time.

The remaining money from Cheryl’s 10K had gone to groceries, some new clothes, sent up in an envelope to her grandfather back in Riverdale, and two boozy nights out at the local bars. Though she knew that the leftover money should’ve been saved instead of spent on alcohol, her want to enjoy her early twenties overpowered the responsibility of trying to become financially stable.

“I’ll leave you a twenty to pay my half,” Sweet Pea said, standing tall in his tattered flannel shirt. “Oh, and I’ll pay you back for the groceries once I get my pay check.”

“Don’t worry about it, Pea,” Toni said, waving him off as she pulled out two stacks of bills kept together by rubber bands. “You can just get the groceries next week.”

“It’s really great that Reggie got Cheryl to come to the club and that she took such a liking to you,” Sweet Pea remarked.

Toni laughed, “Well, it was your help that landed me that job. At least your half-brother is good for something.”

“That and for his not so subtle extramarital affairs,” Sweet Pea scoffed. “You should come by the shop today. We’re getting in some guy’s old Mustang. He made the dumbass choice to drive it during this weather and the passenger door.”

Toni groaned and fell back onto the worn cushions of the couch, “Maybe in the afternoon, I’m fucking exhausted from last night.”

“Well rest up, sleepyhead,” Sweet Pea said, after draining his coffee mug. “Being a stripper is hard work, huh?”

“I’m a _dancer_ now, asshole,” Toni fired back, giving him a slight glare. “I’ve upgraded now that I work at a gentlemen’s club. And yes, it is hard work. Have you ever tried to pole dance?”

“Nope, but maybe I should since you have a six pack and I don’t.”

Toni finally got some peace and quiet when Sweet Pea walked out the door twenty minutes later. Closed behind her bedroom door, Toni laid sprawled out underneath her heavy comforter in her comfiest pair of pajamas. Her bedroom was her sanctuary, she didn’t bring just anyone inside its four walls. It was her area to relax, unwind, and catch up on her sleep.

Normally, she’d be asleep within a few minutes of laying down, but today was different. Despite being exhausted, she just couldn’t fall asleep. Toni tossed and turned, rolling over onto her stomach and back in attempts to get comfortable. The sleep wouldn’t come.

Finally getting fed up with her situation, Toni hastily reached for her phone that was plugged in on her bedside table. She hadn’t received any text messages, which was a bit disheartening. Since the phone call she had with Cheryl a few days before, Cheryl had barely texted her back. Toni knew that it shouldn’t matter how much Cheryl answered, she was on vacation after all. She was probably too busy with her family in California, yet Toni couldn’t help but check her phone often in hopes of the billionaire’s response.

Hesitating briefly, Toni opened the internet browser on her phone and typed “Cheryl Blossom” into the search engine. In the moments she had to herself, Toni couldn’t stop herself from thinking about the red-haired woman who had visited her at the club. It was more the little things she remembered of Cheryl, hoping to etch the memories into her brain forever in case she never saw her again. Cheryl was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen, in photos and even more in person. Her skin was clear, flawless. She lips were full, naturally plump without the need of botox fillers. Her teeth were perfect, brightly white and straight. Her eyes were a deep chocolate brown, which gave away the emotions she was feeling inside. Whenever Cheryl looked at Toni with those eyes, she felt an indescribable sensation. A sensation that left her craving to feel it again.

Like her face, her body was equally as perfect. She was tall, though she wasn’t the tallest woman in the industry. Her height was a perfect medium, not too tall or short. Her legs were long like the models who wore her clothing. Though unlike her models, she had well defined thighs. Thighs that Toni wanted to have wrapped around her head, squeezing so hard they’d crush her skull.

Toni scrolled through images of Cheryl, which ranged from professional headshots to paparazzi photos taken from afar of her getting vegan ice cream with pop-sensation Josie McCoy. Right now, there were an influx of articles being written about Cheryl regarding her runway show at Paris Fashion Week not too long ago. Toni clicked on an article written by the Telegraph. She scrolled through over dozens of photos of Cheryl’s designs, recognizing a few of the articles of clothing as things she had received in a package from Cheryl the previous week.

Curious, Toni opened a new browsing tab and looked up Érable’s website. She scrolled through the women’s wear, pausing when she found one of the t-shirts she had received from Cheryl. The t-shirt itself was fairly simple, white with a single red and pink rose design on the front. Underneath the rose was the company’s name in big blood red letters.

The price listed underneath the shirt nearly made Toni’s mouth fall open in shock. Her eyes widened as she reread the price. $450? For a t-shirt? Toni looked over at the t-shirt, which had been washed and hung in her closet unworn. She quickly got out of her bed and took the t-shirt out of her closet, examining the material. The t-shirt alone was worth more than she made in a day, and now she owned it. She felt the material between her finger tips. It felt like a normal t-shirt, though it was slightly softer than a standard cotton t-shirt. The shirt was definitely not worth what Cheryl’s company was asking for it.

Once snuggling back into bed, Toni found herself on YouTube watching Cheryl being interviewed by Neiman Marcus.

 _“I found myself as a young girl bursting with ideas, wanting to change the world through clothing but not knowing how I’d get there,”_ Cheryl said in the interview, looking like a full course meal in the floral, loose-fitting romper that she was wearing. Her hair was curled and flowing over her shoulders, similar to how Toni last saw her. She was charismatic, poised, perfect. Her responses to the questions asked were articulated and well thought out, but still seemed like she had come up with the answers on the spot. She knew just when to smile, to laugh, even blink. _“_ _Érable started off as a dream in my childhood bedroom. I had gotten a sewing machine for Christmas and from that day forward I began to bring the ideas in my head to life.”_

She was the same way on the red carpet, posing for photos expertly in her designer dress and expensive clutch. Cheryl answered the red-carpet interviewers in a way that made her almost relatable, despite her less than humble beginnings. She appealed to the general public because she seemed like a regular every-day person when conversing with interviewers. Cheryl was friendly, beautiful, and a bit quirky. The general public ate it up. She even looked perfect when she took a tequila shot with an interviewer from the Jimmy Kimmel Show while attending the Academy Award’s pre-show.

Toni found herself giggling as Cheryl threw back the shot, her face immediately cringing as the hard liquor burned her throat.

 _“Oh, wow that’s strong,”_ Cheryl said, smacking her lips as she handed the shot glass back to the gold-suited interviewer.

She looked at Cheryl’s Instagram, her company’s YouTube channel, even the magazine cover from [when she was on the front cover of Vogue](http://blossoming-choni.tumblr.com/post/183850858211). With the letters of the company just behind her head, Cheryl looked absolutely stunning in a colorful patterned button-up shirt. Toni even looked up where Cheryl owned property. Not only did she have a penthouse Manhattan apartment, but a house in San Diego, Miami, the Hamptons, London, and Versailles.

After some more browsing of Cheryl’s name on the internet, she discovered Cheryl’s infamous “Esquire’s Sexiest Woman Alive” photo shoot from the last October. The spread featured many photos of Cheryl wearing almost no clothing, with her intimate areas covered tastefully by her hands, arms, or other objects that obstructed the view. Toni scrolled through each photo, captivated by the tasteful side-boob and lace panties she was posing in. She felt slightly gratified that she had touched Cheryl’s skin, which was something she was sure many men and women dreamt of being able to do.

The familiar feeling of lust crept back into Toni’s body, as it always did when she thought about Cheryl after a while. Looking at sexy lingerie photoshoots of the billionaire was definitely not helping, causing Toni to choose to slip her free hand under the waistband of her comfy pajamas for some relief.

She bit her lip as two of her fingertips made contact with her clit, circling expertly over the sensitive area. Her legs reacted by closing tightly, keeping her hand trapped between her thighs. She continued to look at photos of Cheryl as her fingers continued to circle her clit, more harshly now as she grew more impatient for relief.

Toni let out a slight sigh as she changed her stroke pattern, making her very grateful that she was home alone without the potential of Sweet Pea overhearing her. There was something about Cheryl that she couldn’t help herself. Cheryl smelt like luxury and privilege; things Toni had never experienced in the last twenty-two years. Cheryl was older than her… not by much but the slightly older vibe was such a turn on to Toni.

Cheryl had grown up with money, had never lived in a bedroom that could barely fit her bed. She had never gone to a grocery store, a laundromat, or even a public gym. Cheryl had people do minuscule tasks for her, like get her coffee. She used a private jet like it was a taxi, jetting her off to tropical destinations or European cities. Toni found herself shamefully attracted to that as well, as she had never experienced the luxuries Cheryl didn’t even give a second thought about.

She dipped a finger in her pussy once she felt wet enough, thinking about how good it felt to touch Cheryl’s skin and to feel her pulse under her lips. Cheryl’s breathing grew more ragged every time Toni caressed her skin, leaving her breathless as she anticipated Toni’s next move. Toni loved feeling powerful over someone who was powerful in the industry, and from what she observed Cheryl didn’t seem to have too many people who would challenge her dominance. The woman exerted dominance in her day to day life, guiding conversations and asserting her authority. Once Toni had licked the shell of her ear and whispered something dirty, Cheryl turned into someone more passive, allowing Toni to do what she wanted.

Toni wanted to feel Cheryl’s fingers replacing her own, wanted to look down and see Cheryl hovering over her stomach, staring back at her with lust filled eyes and parted full lips. Toni squeezed her eyes shut and let go of her phone, trying desperately to keep the image of Cheryl fingering her locked in her mind. Toni began to pant heavily as she added another finger, pumping quickly as her body began to sweat. The moan Cheryl had let out while Toni had sat on her lap in the club found its way back into her mind, aiding in the stimulation Toni was receiving. She had never experienced something quite like this.

Toni moaned loudly as her orgasm crashed over her, causing her fingers to pump sporadically as her legs began to shake. Though Toni had been with a number of people in her lifetime, no one could make her orgasm quite like she could herself. She sighed loudly as she removed her fingers slowly, feeling how sensitive and wet she was.

The images of Cheryl from the other night began to fade, a different thought surfacing to take its place. It began to pick away at her satisfaction, instead replacing the feeling with worry. Cheryl only knew Diamond; she didn’t know Toni at all. Diamond was who Cheryl was attracted to, the seductive dancer from the club. Toni was a broke woman in her early-twenties, barely making ends meet in a crime-ridden neighborhood in Brooklyn. If Cheryl knew who Diamond really was, would she still be that attracted to her? Toni didn’t know if she wanted to find out.

* * *

 

“Come on. Charge you stupid ass motherfucker.”

Toni continued to readjust the cord sticking out of her phone, twisting it in different directions in hopes her phone would begin charging again. The charging cord was torn where it plugged in to her phone, the frayed wires poking out from the plastic casing. The phone itself was old, a few models behind the newest one that had been released last fall. The battery was the worst, only lasting a few hours before it needed to be plugged in again. The screen was cracked from when she dropped it on the cement sidewalk outside of her apartment. It was almost $100 just to fix it, who would pay to fix that?

The laundromat was painfully boring, but thankfully it had outlets on the wall just behind the line of washing machines. She had put off doing her laundry as long as she could, only shoving everything into a sack and making the five-block trek to the laundromat when she had run out of clean underwear. She was currently waiting for her clothes to be finished in the dryer while her phone charged, swinging her legs as they dangled over the washing machine.

“Toni! How many times do I have to tell you not to sit on my washers?” a man’s voice shouted angrily from across the laundromat. The few other customers besides Toni looked over at the owner, before looking at Toni with distaste.

“Sorry Mr. Wu,” Toni replied, hopping down from the washing machine. “Won’t happen again.”

“You say that every time!”

Toni rolled her eyes and laughed under her breath; she could feel all eyes on her. The dryer across from her beeped loudly, signaling her clothes had completed their dry cycle. The timing couldn’t have been better, it was already getting late. She had been stuck in work all day, by now it was getting close to 9pm.

Minutes later, Toni left the warm laundromat and began her walk back to she and Sweet Pea’s apartment. It had been snowing all day, but by now the snow had subsided and a harsh wind blew the fallen snow up the streets of Brooklyn. Toni snuggled into her leather jacket as a strong gust wind froze her cheeks and made her nose go numb. Her thin gloves didn’t help much against the wind, making carrying the sack of laundry over her shoulder a bit difficult. Nonetheless, Toni persisted up the chilly sidewalk, two earbuds in her ear to allow music to distract her from the thought of her toes freezing off.

As she turned the corner to head up Lincoln Place, a strong hand grabbed a fistful of her jacket near the shoulder and pulled. Toni stumbled backwards, but immediately reached for her assaulter with her free hand. She let go of her bag of laundry, in favor of reaching for the switchblade stored in her pocket. She unsheathed the blade and grabbed the attacker by the back of the neck.  

“Woah! Woah! Toni! It’s me!”

Toni realized who had grabbed her a split second later, causing her to shove the person away from her. The adrenaline was pumping thru her veins, she thought she was about to have some blood on her hands.

Toni pulled the earbuds from her ear, “Peaches? What the fuck was that for? You should know better than to grab someone when they aren’t paying attention. Especially around this part of the neighborhood.”

Peaches ‘N Cream was the bane of Toni’s existence, always showing up at just the wrong time. This being one of those times. She had known the gorgeous curly-haired woman since she and Sweet Pea moved to their apartment. Since then their relationship had been a rollercoaster, but even that was an understatement.

“Relax, baby,” Peaches responded, as she picked up Toni’s sack of laundry. “I know it was wrong of me to do that, I just got excited to see you. You’re never on the streets at this time.”

“Well, you successfully scared the shit out of me,” Toni said angrily, closing the switchblade and putting it back in her jacket. “What are you even doing out?”

“I was just going to go up and check on the pawn shop,” Peaches replied, handing over the sack of laundry. She towered over Toni, but so did everyone. “You’d know this if you hit me back every once in a while. You’ve been dry on your end.”

Toni sighed, “Yeah, sorry about that. My phone is kind of garbage and I’ve been so busy.”

“Work been treating you well?” Peaches asked.

Toni shrugged, “At the hotel? I mean, it pays. Not really much to talk about when you just work at the front desk.”

“I meant at the club,” Peaches responded, shaking her head slightly. It caused her large hoop earrings to shake.

“I thought you didn’t like to hear about what I did at the club?” Toni asked, raising an eyebrow.

Peaches rolled her eyes and awkwardly scratched the back of her neck, “I mean, I fucking don’t. But you know, I just wanted to check in and see how things were going…but now that you mention it, don’t answer that question.”

Toni smiled a bit, there was the Peaches she knew. Always a bit jealous, always a bit protective of her. “Do you want to walk me home? Make sure no one else tries to grab me off the street?”

Peaches laughed, “Girl, we both know you can hold your own if some random dude tries to snatch your ass.”

Toni giggled, “Alright, well then I’ll just head home and see you later.”

“Well shit, you don’t have to beg me. I’ll walk you and let me hold your laundry," Peaches said, grabbing Toni's hand and pulling her in for a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment or something. I'm sorry since this is shorter and kind of filler-ish but it did give some background into Toni's life and more about just how much of a perfect image Cheryl has. I'm really excited for these next chapters now that we got the background and initial meeting out of the way and now I can focus on developing their relationship and characters...see ya next time
> 
> I'm also very excited for you guys to get to see what Cheryl's apartment is like.
> 
> Do you guys like being able to see Toni's perspective? Or do you prefer Cheryl's? Let me know!
> 
> Also I don’t have a fandom twitter so can my homies who have stan twitter please let your followers know this fic exists?


	5. Part 1: Cinq

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m a sinner. I like to sin, this chapter is sinful. That’s all.

_5._

 

“I’m just saying that it would be rather appropriate to take Archie to the Met Gala. It would be unwise to show up without a date.”

“Why?” Cheryl countered, forcefully pulling open the large glass doors that led to the large kitchen at the Blossom estate. “To minimize the rumors that I’m a lesbian and fuel dating rumors that I’m dating my best friend’s ex-fiancé?”

“Yes! That’s exactly why!” Penelope answered, closely tailing Cheryl as she walked into their kitchen. Their personal chef was the only occupant, cutting vegetables in preparation for the lunch they’d be enjoying on one of the patio tables that overlooked the Pacific Ocean. The same routine Cheryl had been following for over a week.

Cheryl reached for a pear in the fruit bowl on the marble island in the center of the kitchen, taking a large bite in attempts of fixing the sour taste in her mouth brought on by another argument with her mother. By now Cheryl was reaching her breaking point when it came to altercations with her mother, the constant warm sun and lack of responsibility was not worth the constant badgering.

Her mother had confronted her about the upcoming gala while Cheryl was basking in the sun and reading a book on the lawn near the shoreline, interrupting her morning relaxation. The walk from where her lounge chair was to the doors of the kitchen was a quarter mile trek, but her mother had not relented on her arguing during the whole journey. Normally, Cheryl enjoyed the stroll from the large lawn to the mansion she grew up in, taking in the warm sun and beautiful architecture of her house. Her mother’s badgering did not allow her an opportunity to enjoy the walk today.

[The Blossom’s family mansion](https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/6-Monarch-Cv-Dana-Point-CA-92629/51667458_zpid/) had been purchased by her father only four months before she and Jason were born. The 16-million-dollar estate boasted six bedrooms, ten bathrooms, a movie theater, wine cellar, and home gym. Her father, Cliff, had two large, golden maple leaves surrounded by silver roses made that hung on the black gate at the edge of their driveway, so no mistake was made when on just which family lived there. It was tucked away in a gated community, severing their contact with the outside public. It was a safe haven from paparazzi, from the leering eyes of neighbors, which had been very useful for Cheryl when she had begun to earn her celebrity status in her late teens. Other than rare incidents of a few stalkers trespassing onto the property, the Blossom family was able to live their lives away from the public eye while residing at the California mansion.

“Why the fuck do I hear this yapping so early in the morning?”

The voice was followed by Jason entering the kitchen, sweaty from exercise and holding a protein shake. His red waves were damp with sweat and droplets ran down his cheeks and chin, dropping onto his tank top. Cheryl’s nose wrinkled at the smell that carried with him, inching away from him as he boosted himself up to sit on the countertop Cheryl was bent over.

“Hey! Off the counter! You’re all sweaty,” Penelope snapped, slapping Jason’s shoulder.

Jason laughed over his protein shake, “Richard will clean the counter, won’t you Richard?”

“Yes of course, Mr. Blossom,” their personal chef responded, not looking up from the celery he was chopping.

Cheryl scoffed, “Don’t be a dick, Jason. Get off.”

Jason let out an entitled laugh before hopping off the counter, “So, what is the argument of the day turning out to be?”

“The Met Gala,” Cheryl answered, tossing her half-eaten pear into the garbage can next to their personal chef. She reached for the paper towels next to the sink and a bottle of cleaning spray. She held both items out to her brother. “Clean it.”

“What? I’m not cleaning that,” Jason scoffed. Cheryl could only guess the last time Jason had touched anything that had to do with cleaning, cooking, or laundry.

“You’re not going to make Richard clean your sweat stain that your ass left on the counter because you used it as a chair,” Cheryl responded, eyes narrowing. “You’re almost twenty-six years old. If I didn’t know you, I would’ve guessed you’re fourteen at the _oldest_.”

“Ice cold, Cheryl,” Jason huffed, hastily taking the bottle from Cheryl’s outstretched hand.

“I merely suggested that Cheryl take Archie to the Met Gala this year instead of going dateless once again,” Penelope spoke up, remaining silent during Cheryl and Jason’s altercation. More times than not, Cheryl felt more like a disciplining mother to her twin brother than their own mother.

“What’s wrong with her going alone with her friends?” Jason asked, as he sprayed cleaning solution onto the countertop. “That’s what she’s done every year she’s been invited.”

“Because many people continue to spread rumors about what type of people Cheryl likes to lie with,” Penelope huffed, looking over her nose in superiority as she crossed her arms.

Jason laughed as he cleaned the counter, “The rumors are true though, mom. Why do you have to be such a hard ass about who she chooses to bring to events?”

“Because the Blossom family would lose some very important contacts if it was discovered what one of our offspring… _was_ ,” Penelope answered.

“A lesbian. You’re not going to burst into flames if you say it, you know,” Jason answered. Cheryl looked at Jason, a smile creeping on her lips. Though he was immature, spoiled, and overall an asshole, he always had Cheryl’s back when it came to the discussion her sexuality. He knew the words to say when Cheryl felt them catching in her throat. “You can’t keep telling Cheryl what to do, you haven’t been her manager since she was eighteen.”

“I wasn’t _telling_ her; I was merely _suggesting_ -.”

“And you suggested. So just drop it and let Cheryl do what she wants,” Jason countered, as he finished cleaning the counter. “This should be a clear example as to why she doesn’t like coming out here.”

“Jason’s right mumsy, you don’t decide what I can and can’t do anymore,” Cheryl spoke up. “If I want to go alone, I will. And right now, I want to go back to New York City.”

“What? Cher, you just got here like a week ago,” Jason frowned.

Cheryl shrugged as she left the kitchen, “I can do what I want, JJ. I want to go home, so I will. _Au revoir_!”

* * *

 

Cheryl had lived in the same bedroom at the Blossom estate throughout her life. Like herself, it changed as the years passed. Her room was across from Jason’s, overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the sprawling lawn. The view was her favorite part, Cheryl had spent a lot of time growing up watching the crashing waves on the beach during the times she had been locked in her room as punishment. Her room had changed its color several times, as Cheryl was very indecisive during her teens. The color had been the same cherry red for the last seven years, as she hadn’t returned much since graduating high school and moving out. The original sewing machine she had received was still pushed to the corner near her walk-in closet, untouched in years.

Though she grew to loathe returning to her childhood home, she missed the room she grew up in. There had been many sleepovers in the king-sized bed she slept on, as well as many curious kisses with childhood friends she hadn’t spoken to since middle school. She had created some of her first designs in that bedroom, even coming up with her company’s name one sleepless night.

“I hope you don’t let any of the bullshit that mom says bother you.”

Cheryl looked over her shoulder at her open bedroom. Jason was standing in the doorframe, freshly showered and in a new set of clothes. Cheryl sighed and tossed a pair of jeans into her suitcase, feeling a bit guilty for leaving so soon.

“I don’t,” Cheryl answered, turning around to face him. “If I did, I’d be married to Archie by now.”

Jason laughed as he stepped into her bedroom, “I’m pretty sure the world would end if that happened.” He paused for a moment, chewing on his bottom lip in thought. “You know I don’t care about who you are, right?”

Cheryl nodded, “I know you don’t, JJ. You were the first person I told after all.”

The two sat next to each other on Cheryl’s bed, unsure of what to say to each other. Cheryl knew how much Jason loved her, how he protected her fiercely and without fault. She felt the same way about him, she’d never speak ill of him unless it was to his face. They were two parts of a whole, two beating hearts in their mother’s womb. She didn’t know where she’d be if she ever lost her dear brother.

“I really hope they come around one day,” Jason said, breaking their comfortable silence.

“Me too, Jason,” Cheryl sighed. “But it’s been almost ten years.”

“Have you talked to Veronica?” Jason asked. “She sent me a message a few weeks ago asking how you were.”

“Did you answer her?” Cheryl asked.

“No, why would I? It’s not my business,” Jason replied.

Cheryl shrugged, “No I haven’t talked to her. And I don’t want to.”

“She’s not going to stop until you do talk to her. It’s only a matter of time.”

“I know,” Cheryl answered. She just wanted to put it off for as long as she could.

She felt the bed shift next to her and moments later felt Jason’s arm wrap around her shoulders, “I just want what’s best for you, Cher-Bear. I want you to be happy.”

“I am happy. I don’t need anyone to make me happy,” Cheryl pointed out, snaking her arm around his waist as he pulled her into a side hug. Hugging Jason never failed to calm the storm inside of her.

“Well…if you want to get happier, why don’t we plan a sibling vacation? We definitely didn’t spend enough time together this week,” Jason suggested. “Maybe we could go to your Miami house and just…jetski, eat, drink, get some massages. I don’t know, have some quality time?”

Cheryl smiled, hugging him tighter as he voiced his idea, “That would be amazing actually. It’s been forever since we spent time together.”

“Just the two of us. No cameras, no friends, just you and me. Like how it used to be,” Jason said, placing his cheek on the top of her head. “I’m going to miss you.”

“I’m going to miss you too. I wish things weren’t so shit with mom and dad, I’d stay longer,” Cheryl said, letting go of Jason.

“I’m still hoping they come around,” Jason said, a pearly white smile appearing on his face. “Did you notice I’m wearing one of Érable’s shirts?”

She did. She had noticed it the moment he walked in. It was her company’s best-seller. The black cotton-blend shirt boasted the company’s symbol, a silver maple leaf surrounded by a wreath made of roses.

“It looks good on you,” Cheryl smiled. “Maybe I’ll hire you as one of my models.”

* * *

There were many downsides of staying at the Blossom’s mansion, one of them being the persistence of paparazzi once she left the gates of the community they lived in. It had been one week since she had been photographed, making magazines anxious to capture a photo of her doing absolutely anything. Her face made them thousands of dollars per photo, of course they wanted to photograph her.

Upon Cheryl’s return to Manhattan, one of the first things she wanted to do was pay a visit to Reggie’s club to see Toni. They hadn’t spoken much since their phone call, but by now the anticipation of another sexual encounter had left her wanting to see Toni at whatever cost. The only problem was, the paparazzi had followed her car all the way from the airport to her apartment building. They didn’t leave after that either, remaining outside the building in hopes she’d leave. They’d follow her if she left to go to the club. There was no way she’d get there unnoticed tonight.

Despite this, it didn’t stop Cheryl from wanting to see Toni. If she couldn’t go to the club to see her, Toni would certainly have to come to her penthouse instead. Her request to Betty was one that she planned to have fulfilled, which meant Toni was about to be snuck in the back entrance of the building and riding the elevator up to the penthouse.

Her conversation on the phone with Reggie was brief, as he seemed more than willing to accommodate Cheryl with any request she had. Though Toni was supposed to be working at the club that night, Reggie quickly stated that he would sacrifice any profit made from Toni just so Cheryl would be satisfied. An odd statement, but one that Cheryl was pleased to hear.

It had been over an hour since their conversation, by now Toni was probably in the car Cheryl had sent, on her way to the penthouse in the backseat of the luxury SUV. It left Cheryl anxious and pacing the floor in her grand living space, looking at the view of the city while changing her mind on what outfit she was going to wear. Though she knew she shouldn’t be putting so much thought into it, Cheryl found herself wanting to look her absolute best tonight. She stood in the center of her large walk in closet, chewing on her bottom lip in thought as she surveyed her hundreds of clothing items and dozens of shoes.  

In the end, she had decided on a blood red turtleneck from her company’s line a few years ago, black pants, and black heeled ankle boots. In the master bathroom, Cheryl had sprayed her signature perfume on her neck and wrists, an enticing smell she had worn exclusively since she was in her early twenties. With just the right notes of rose and saffron, being in Cheryl’s presence meant being greeted with a pleasant smell that made people want to draw even closer to her to get another whiff. She even spent time fixing up and reapplying her makeup, adding a new layer of cherry red lipstick to her lips. Her hair had been released from the hold of a French braid, cascading tight red waves over her shoulders and down her back.

When all was said and done, Cheryl stood in the floor-length mirror in her master bedroom suite, eyes scanning her body to make sure everything about her appearance was perfect. Not one strand of hair was out of place, not one wrinkle in her turtleneck, nor smear of red lipstick on the edge of her lips. Cheryl looked how she strived to be on a constant basis, _perfect_.

Loud and deep bells rang out throughout the master suite, similar to the sound of the bells heard outside of a church as they beckoned people inside. It was the sound of her doorbell. Toni was here.

A rush of fluttering erupted in Cheryl’s stomach, before quickly subsiding. What if things were awkward? No interaction they’ve had was even slightly awkward, their chemistry was always electric in a way Cheryl had never experienced. The only difference was that Cheryl was inviting Toni into her private quarters, her living space where she came up with her design ideas and lounged around watching reruns on the Comedy Channel. It was her sanctuary, and now she was inviting someone she barely knew inside.

The feeling of uncertainty vanished the second she opened the large front door, revealing her favorite dancer in the doorway.

“Hi,” Cheryl spoke first, voice slightly breathless as she took in the appearance of Toni.  Cheryl’s eyes flickered over her body, traveling down to the metallic heels on her feet, back up her endless tanned legs, and to the black pea coat that covered the majority of a short white dress.

Toni was beaming, “Hey there, stranger. You’re pretty far up, huh?”

Cheryl’s lip turned upward in a smile as she let out a nervous laugh, “Fifty-seven floors. How was the trip over here?”

Toni shrugged, “It was alright, though I didn’t expect it. I thought you were taking a longer vacation than ten days.”

Cheryl stepped aside, letting Toni walk into her condo, “It’s not really a vacation when your mother is arguing with you the whole time.”

Toni’s smile fell as she entered, “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize.”

“Don’t worry about it…I’m still on vacation now though. Can I take your jacket and give you a tour of my place?” Cheryl asked, as the heavy front door closed behind her.

Toni smirked, “You sure can, Ms. Blossom.”

Toni was dressed like she was going to be attending a party of some kind, her cocktail dress ending just at her mid-thigh. The fabric was tight, clinging to her legs nicely and accenting the curves of hips and backside. Cheryl licked her lips as she looked over Toni’s dress, taking the black coat that had fallen down her shoulders and into her hands. Her outfit was a stark outfit to Cheryl’s more casual one, but after all patrons did pay to see their dancers dressed up.

“Care for something to drink before I show you around?” Cheryl asked, hanging Toni’s coat in the closet. “I have this really good bottle of wine that I brought back from Paris, I think you may like it. It’s a red from Bordeaux and is one of my favorites. I can’t leave France without at least twenty.”

“That sounds great,” Toni smiled politely. Though things weren’t awkward per say, there was definitely a different mood between them. It probably had to do with the fact they were outside of the club, in the privacy of Cheryl’s home instead. Toni had always had the comfortable familiarity of the gentlemen’s club before, but out of that space she seemed a bit more reserved.

Cheryl chewed on her bottom lip slightly as she walked down the brightly lit hallway of her penthouse. She heard the clicking of Toni’s heels behind her, making Cheryl wonder what Toni’s initial thoughts were of her main residence. Cheryl’s eye for design came to clothing, interior design wasn’t her strongest area.

The entire penthouse fell within a range of grey, an idea her interior designer had in order to prevent distraction while Cheryl was brainstorming new ideas for her clothing line. Everything in the penthouse was the finest quality that money could buy, from the vinyl walls of the hallway to the black marble countertops of the kitchen. The penthouse remained relatively unchanged since she had originally purchased it almost a year ago, its elegance practically frozen in time.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been up this high before,” Toni said, attention turning towards the large windows in the kitchen. Cheryl’s penthouse had some of the best views in Manhattan, allowing her a nice view of the Empire State building, Time Square, and Madison Square Garden.

“Well, I hope you’re not afraid of heights,” Cheryl teased, reaching for the French wine bottle that had she’d placed there almost an hour prior. “I like feeling on top of everyone else.”

“I don’t blame you,” Toni nodded, eyes scanning Cheryl’s large kitchen. Nothing more was said between the two women until after Cheryl had expertly opened the wine and poured a small amount of the almost black colored liquid into two crystal glasses.

“The notes are plum and currant, which is why the color of it is so dark,” Cheryl said casually, handing over the small amount of wine. “If you like it, I’ll pour you more.”

It was in that moment when Cheryl handed one of the glasses to Toni that she had a sudden realization. Though Toni’s face showed no signs of surprise, her eyes said all. They had a similar look to a deer caught in the headlights, deep brown orbs fully on display as her eyes widened slightly. Cheryl froze for a moment upon realizing Toni had no idea what she was talking about. It made Cheryl suddenly feel like a deer in the headlights herself.

All her life, Cheryl had associated herself with people who had vacation homes, drove nice cars, and drank the finest wines. Those were the kinds of people that she was surrounded by while growing up, as her parents and their small group of friends all partook in those things. Cheryl felt guilt in her stomach for assuming that she and Toni came from the same financial background the moment she entered her penthouse. How silly was it for her to assume that? If Toni experienced the same vacation homes and fine wine as Cheryl, she wouldn’t be dancing in a gentlemen’s club on weekends. For once, Cheryl had the upper hand when it came to familiarity.

“I-I’m,” Cheryl began, the apology catching in her throat. “Have you never done a wine tasting before?”

Toni smiled, but shook her head, “When I drink wine it’s usually not worth enough to taste it and see if you like it.”

“Would you like me to teach you?” Cheryl asked, passing off the expensive glass into Toni’s hand. This conversation was definitely not going where she wanted it to go. “It’s a pretty nice skill to have, no matter what kind of wine you drink.”

“It all really tastes the same to me,” Toni shrugged, winking attractively at Cheryl. “But I’ll give it a shot.”

Cheryl beamed, “I’m glad you’re open to a new experience. So, the first thing you do is swirl the wine in the glass just a bit. The goal is to look at the appearance of the wine first.” Cheryl rotated her glass slowly, allowing the wine to coat the sides. Toni followed her lead, mimicking Cheryl’s movement with precision. “See the streaks that are being left behind on the glass? Those are called wine legs. That’s a sign of a good wine, though many people think that means the wine is sweeter.”

“It just means that the wine is good?” Toni asked, looking closely at the side of her glass.

“Not always. Shitty wine can have them too. It just goes to show how much alcohol is in the wine,” Cheryl said, glancing at Toni as she looked intently at the glass. “Now that the wine is swirled and the aroma is being released, you’re just going to lift the glass to your nose and smell. Like this.”

Cheryl brought the crystal glass to her nose, inhaling slightly and breathing out through her nose. Toni followed her lead, nose wrinkling slightly at the pungent smell.

“Do you smell the plum?” Cheryl asked.

“All I smell is alcohol,” Toni admitted. “It all smells the same to me.”

Cheryl laughed, “We’ll get you there. Next, take a sip. But, make sure you let it wash over your tongue before you swallow.”

They both sipped at the same time, the liquid entering their mouths and then rushing down their throats. Cheryl felt it hit her stomach, causing a warm eruption to spread throughout her body. From the look on Toni’s face, she wasn’t feeling the same thing.

“You know, this actually tastes really good,” Toni admitted. “And thanks to you, I have a new trade skill.”

“Care for some more?” Cheryl asked, picking up the bottle.

Toni slid her glass across the marble countertop, “Please.”

Once both women had generous amounts of wine in their glasses, Cheryl led the way down the remainder of the hallway and into her grand room. [The grand room](https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/45-E-22nd-St-56FL-New-York-NY-10010/2095361548_zpid/) was her favorite room in the condo, where large floor to ceiling windows gave her an even better view than her kitchen. Her dining room table was in the corner, with velvet chairs and an expensive oak table. The grey sectionals towards the middle had seen a great deal of use but looked as new as when she first got them. The large flat screen TV was not too far from the couches, allowing her the best view when watching her favorite shows.

“Wow, this is _beautiful_ ,” Toni mused, looking rather similar to a kid in a candy show. Her eyes observed every book, painting, and sculpture that Cheryl’s grand room had. Her observance to detail was captivating and it allowed Cheryl to gather herself while watching the pink-haired woman.

Touring the condo didn’t take too long, as it was nowhere close to as big as some of her other houses. It was one of the cons of living in Manhattan, as 8 million people were crammed within its five boroughs. Based on Toni’s reactions to everything she saw, Cheryl wondered just what kind of life Toni lived outside of the club. She had never even seen a bidet until she looked in Cheryl’s master bath.

Cheryl was taking rather large sips of her wine as they walked throughout the penthouse, pausing in the master suite and walk in closet. She continued to study Toni’s reactions, trying to find answers to the questions she had about her life that the dancer had been so private about.

“So, tell me some of the highlights of visiting your family,” Toni said, two glasses of wine and much talking later. They were situated on the sectional in the great room, knees touching slightly as they laughed and drank. Though Toni was there to dance, no dancing had happened yet. Cheryl didn’t mind this, as she preferred being able to talk to Toni and try to get some information out of her. The little information she knew about her was driving Cheryl mad, wanting to know things like what Toni’s favorite food was to what her childhood nickname was. Information that Toni never answered and would steer the conversation away from. Cheryl supposed that gentlemen’s club dancers must regularly do much more than just dancing, she had even heard stories of men paying dancers to be their date to dinner parties.

Cheryl glanced at Toni, “Well, my brother and I took the boat out a few times. Most of it was just relaxing and not thinking about work at all, but that can be hard when you own a fashion label.”

“Was it nice to spend some time with him at least?” Toni asked.

“It was, but we didn’t get to see each other as much as we both wanted to,” Cheryl said, taking a sip of her wine. “We’re planning to fly to Miami for a week for some sibling bonding in a couple weeks.”

“Miami! I’ve never been,” Toni admitted. “I’ve never been on a plane either.”

“Really? Are you afraid of flying?” Cheryl asked.

Toni shook her head, “No, just haven’t had had a reason to go in a plane.”

“Well, maybe you will one day,” Cheryl countered.

“I hope so. It’d be nice to see the world from that high up,” Toni laughed. “You seem to really like views though.”

“I do,” Cheryl nodded. “When you have enough money to buy the views, you do. There’s really nothing like a nice view to look out at.”

“Well, what’s your favorite view?” Toni asked, draining her wine glass. “Or do you not have one?”

“You’re a pretty good one,” Cheryl responded, smiling in Toni’s direction. She didn’t just say it to flirt, she genuinely meant it. Whenever she saw Toni, that was the only thing she could focus on. There wasn’t a single view, no matter how beautiful, that could distract Cheryl from gazing at Toni.

Toni laughed and placed her glass on the coffee table in front of them, “You definitely have a way with words.”

Cheryl beamed, “Is it working on you?”

“Maybe, but these views are definitely a lot nicer than me,” Toni said, a faint red tinge appearing on her cheeks.

“Not even close,” Cheryl countered. “Everything about you just oozes attraction. I really like how every time I see you your hair is always done completely differently. Did you do those braids yourself?”

Sections of Toni’s hair was braided tightly, leaving the rest of her hair flowing over her shoulders. The braids were tight, with golden hair tinsel weaved into them. Only someone skilled in braiding could’ve done them.

“I did, yeah,” Toni nodded. “My, uh, my grandpa taught me when I was a girl. Before he shaved it all off, he used to have this long head of hair that went down his back that he’d spend almost an hour a day braiding.”

“Would he do them for you too?” Cheryl asked, surprised Toni had actually spoken about her life.

“Sort of. He was always busy, so I learned first from his help and then mimicking what he would do,” Toni said. “Braiding is a large part of the native culture and my grandpa is Uktena. It just comes with being raised by him.”

“So, you’re a quarter native?” Cheryl asked, knowing Toni would begin to shut down on talking about her personal life.

“Yeah, around that. I’m not really sure about the rest, but I know I’m black,” Toni stated.

“Have you thought about looking more into it?”

“No. I don’t really have any desire,” Toni said firmly. It made Cheryl wonder what her family was like. Was she in contact with them? Or did she come to New York City to escape them? “Do you want me to braid your hair like mine?”

“Are you sure? Do you think I’d look good with them?” Cheryl asked, placing her wine glass next to Toni’s.

“Of course you will. It’s ok, I’ll only do a few,” Toni said, beckoning Cheryl closer to her on the couch.

As time passed and Toni’s thin finger began to work on Cheryl’s red hair, Cheryl found Toni’s statement to be right. She watched them in one of the mirrors in the grand room, only biting her bottom lip in pain every once in a while. It was almost relaxing as she felt Toni’s fingers in her hair, twisting strands of her hair together and tucking them behind her ear. Cheryl found herself closing her eyes and nodding off.

“All done,” Toni said softly, awakening Cheryl from her relaxation. “And you look absolutely gorgeous if I do say so myself.”

“I literally almost just fell asleep,” Cheryl admitted, standing up so that she could look at herself in the mirror. She approached slowly, eyes scanning her hair. Her hair was styled on one side by three small braids, which had come together in a twist. Cheryl had never thought of doing this to her hair and would’ve never known what to ask for in order to achieve this style.

“What do you think?” Toni asked, standing up and walking behind Cheryl.

Cheryl turned her head to the side in order to get a better view of the braids, “I think they look stunning. You may have just given me an idea for the hairstyles of my models.”

“You think?” Toni smiled, taking Cheryl’s hand and turning her around. “I’d like to see it.”

“You’ll be the first to know,” Cheryl responded. “Thank you.”

“I think there are more ways that you can thank me,” Toni pointed out, a devious look in her eyes. By now, the surprised look in her eyes had faded as she got more comfortable and sipped more wine. Cheryl could begin to see Toni’s dominating personality shining through once more. The tease in her voice was what gave away Toni’s intentions,  their closeness adding to the electricity between them. By now, any initial discomfort that either of them felt had disappeared. Instead, the familiar desire between the two women had replaced it entirely. It left the same question swimming in Cheryl’s head. Should she kiss her? They were so close, barely a foot away from each other. Toni’s lips were pale pink and inviting, only continuing to fuel Cheryl’s seizure for the shorter woman. 

“Unzip me?” Toni asked simply, breaking their intense staring contest. It was a request that Cheryl couldn’t deny, one that she didn’t dream of ever denying. Toni began to turn around, picking up her pink hair and placing it over her shoulder in order to allow Cheryl better access to the dress’s tiny zipper on her back. Cheryl reached in order to grasp the zipper with her fingers, gently tugging as she pulled it down Toni’s back. 

Toni’s white cocktail dress began to widen at her shoulders, allowing them to easily slip through the hole near the top. The zipper stopped at Toni’s lower back, allowing Cheryl to see the dimples just above Toni’s backside. Her hands travelled upward, helping Toni open the dress and slide it over her shoulders. 

As the dress fell down and pooled at Toni’s feet, Cheryl suddenly noticed the lack of clothing on Toni’s chest. She hadn’t been wearing a bra, instead the dress had been securely pushing up her breasts and prevented them from slipping out. Toni’s entire upper body was completely naked, giving Cheryl just the view she’d been talking about in the reflection of the mirror. 

Despite being bare chested in a place she was extremely unfamiliar with, Toni oozed confidence and seduction. She had good reason to feel this way too. Cheryl’s eyes drank in Toni’s appearance, her perky and full breasts on display for Cheryl only. Her abdomen was toned, muscles just visible under her skin and diamond belly button ring. It was a view Cheryl had been desperately aching to see since Toni sent her those photos while in Paris. Now that it was in front of, Cheryl was at a loss for words. She had never seen anyone so beautiful, seeing Toni now only confirmed that belief more. Toni was Cheryl’s equivalent to Aphrodite. 

They kept their stare through the reflection of the mirror, both radiating with lust and attraction. Cheryl was the first to make a move, reaching out to place her hands on Toni’s waist and pull her flush against her. Toni let out a surprised gasp, stumbling back slightly as Cheryl’s arms wrapped tightly around Toni’s waist. Her lips traveled to Toni’s neck, parting slightly before closing around Toni’s pulse point. 

“Someone’s eager,” Toni giggled, letting out a breathy sigh as Cheryl sucked on her neck harshly. 

“I guess that’s what happens when I don’t see you for three weeks,” Cheryl replied, breath hot behind Toni’s ear. Her hands travelled upwards once more, skating over the skin of her abdomen. Toni’s head fell to the side, allowing Cheryl better access. Cheryl took it all in, breathing in the smell of Toni’s skin and how warm it felt under her lips. “You are absolutely gorgeous Toni.”

Toni sucked in a weak breath, “Show me.”

Cheryl didn’t need to be told twice. She took Toni’s hand, guiding her back to the sectional that they had been seated on earlier. Cheryl’s mind was swimming with thoughts, wondering how this would progress and wanting to go as far as she could. Toni followed her willingly, falling onto the sectional with no hesitation. Cheryl stood over her, taking in the sight of the dancer before bending down onto her knees. Toni’s eyes watched her expectantly, licking her lips as Cheryl leaned forward and wrapped he lips around the area near Toni’s jugular. Her teeth sank into Toni’s skin, harshly sucking before smoothing the area over with her tongue. 

She continued to do this, lips traveling downward until they reached the valley between Toni’s breasts. Cheryl’s hand skated up Toni’s stomach and towards her right breast. Cheryl palmed it gently, feeling Toni’s nipple harden underneath her hand. Toni gasped, which was followed by a soft moan as Cheryl’s lips wrapped around her left nipple. 

“That feels good,” Toni moaned as Cheryl sucked lightly. She could feel the goosebumps erupting on Toni’s skin, urging her to continue with her actions. Toni’s breathing only grew more ragged as the minutes passed and Cheryl continued her exploration with her mouth. The wine was getting to her head, making things hazy due to the alcohol she had drank. 

Cheryl switched from her left breast to her right, wanting to give each one the same amount of attention. Toni seemed to enjoy this, one of her hands had found its way to grip a fistful of her fiery red hair. Cheryl palmed her chest a bit more harshly, nails running along the supple skin and down her abdomen. 

“You’re stunning Toni,” Cheryl said, voice hushed as she placed open mouthed kisses on Toni’s stomach. Each one went lower, drifting downward lower and lower. Toni sat up slightly to watch, legs inadvertently opening wider and wider as Cheryl’s mouth made its descent. “Do you know that?”

“Yes,” Toni answered breathlessly. The hand in her hair began to push her farther downwards, until Cheryl’s face was level with the area between her thighs. Cheryl could practically smell her arousal, a faint musk and a hint of sweetness. The area was covered by a simple pair of black panties, slightly damp in anticipation.

“Are you telling the truth?” Cheryl asked, fingers hooking around the black fabric. She looked up just as Toni was biting her lip longingly. 

“Yes,” Toni nodded quickly. Her eyes locked with Cheryl’s desperately. “ _Please_.”

A smirk formed on Cheryl’s lips as she tugged slightly, pulling the black panties down Toni’s long legs in one quick motion. It left Toni completely naked in Cheryl’s grand room, chest rising and falling quickly as she prepared for what was to come. Cheryl had to gather herself for a moment, allowing herself to look down directly between Toni’s spread legs. 

She was dripping with wetness, glistening with arousal and practically begging for attention. Cheryl gulped dryly, hands pushing Toni’s legs wider as she settled down between her legs. For someone so upper class, with hundreds of millions of dollars at her constant disposal, some might find it amusing that Cheryl was now on her knees for a gentlemen’s club dancer, prepared to service her every desire. 

Cheryl made eye contact with Toni, eyes locking together to form an electricity like no other. Cheryl ran a hand through her hair, pushing it behind her head as to not have it get in the way of the task at hand. She kept Toni’s eye contact as she lowered her head back down and leaned forward, lips wrapping Toni’s clit eagerly. 

She sucked softly at first, eager to show Toni that she wasn’t as sexually inexperienced as Toni had thought of her to be. Maybe she hadn’t been with many people, but she did know what she was doing and that was all that mattered. Toni released a soft moan, eyes fluttering closed as her head fell back onto the couch pillow. Cheryl’s hands rubbed up and down her tan thighs, nails dragging lightly over her soft skin. 

“You know what you’re doing, Cheryl,” Toni gasped, as Cheryl ran her tongue upwards before sucking more harshly. It was followed by Toni letting out another louder moan, causing her thighs to close tightly around Cheryl’s head. 

Cheryl continued her pursuit with her tongue, arms slinking under Toni’s thighs and around the top, effectively holding Toni in place. Toni was panting above her, hands changing between gripping the couch cousins and running through Cheryl’s hair. Toni seemed to be utterly lost as to what to do, too focused on enjoying the pleasure she was receiving from Cheryl. 

Cheryl dipped her tongue inside Toni, eliciting a weak mewl and a tight squeeze from the thighs around Cheryl’s head. Taking the sudden reaction into mind, Cheryl continued to tease her tongue inside Toni’s entrance. She tasted far better than anything Cheryl had ever tasted before. The same musky and slightly sweet taste covered her tastebuds, and Cheryl could not get enough. This wasn’t her first experience, but with how good Toni sounded, tasted, and smelt, it certainly felt like she was experiencing it for the first time. 

“Fuck, I’m close,” Toni said lowly, nails scratching lightly in Cheryl’s scalp. Cheryl felt close herself, despite not even touching the area between her legs. She was still fully clothed, taking care of her dancer before she even thought about herself. Cheryl sucked more harshly, tongue flicking Toni’s entrance as she got Toni closer to her climax. She wanted to hear the sound of Toni orgasm, wanted to burn the memory of her taste and moans into her mind forever. The last time she had heard it, her face was buried in Toni’s neck. Toni had barely let out much noise that time in Reggie’s club, but this time was much different. 

A gush of wetness coated Cheryl’s tongue, and Cheryl could feel Toni begin to shake above her. Her thighs were shaking the most, tightening more as she tried to steady her breathing. She moaned loudly and swore louder, the orgasm crashing over her so suddenly she barely had time to prepare. Cheryl continued to move her mouth as Toni’s shaking subsiding, her orgasm drifting away much slower than it had arrived. 

“You. Are. Amazing,” Toni said between pants. “Consider me an idiot for calling you inexperienced.”

Cheryl smirked and wiped her mouth, “Hope there’s no more doubt surrounding that topic.”

“Not at all,” Toni responded, shaking her head. “How the fuck did your lipstick manage to not come off?”

“There’s a reason I wear this shade of red and it’s because it doesn’t smear,” Cheryl smiled, straightening up and steadying herself with her hands on Toni’s thighs.  

“Is there anything I can do for you then?” Toni asked, reaching forward to place her hands on top of Cheryl’s. 

Cheryl shook her head, “That was perfect for me. I needed it.” 

Toni sat up, face slightly higher than Cheryl’s. Cheryl looked up at her from her kneeling position. She reached out to run a hand through Cheryl’s hair, pushing the strands that had fallen in her face behind her ears.

“You’re something else, Blossom,” Toni said softly, an emotion unknown to Cheryl in her voice. 

Cheryl smiled at the compliment, before growing more serious, “Can I ask you something?”

“Go ahead,” Toni nodded.  

“Do you do this with your other patrons?” Cheryl asked. It was a question that had been nagging the back of her brain for a while. 

Toni shook her head in response, “No. You’re the only one, babygirl.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AH I wrote this before the airplane AGAIN. 
> 
> Enjoy and leave a comment! 
> 
> (for those asking, my tumblr is emisonislifeok. I don't really use it much anymore, but feel free to look me up).


	6. Part 1: Six

_6._

 

Cheryl’s childhood friend Kevin Keller was someone she always knew would rise to stardom the fastest in their small circle of friends. It started just after high school graduation, when Kevin moved to New York City with Cheryl after they both signed a lease to an apartment in Manhattan’s exclusive Tribeca neighborhood. Having already gained quite a bit of experience in high school by performing in plays and musicals, Kevin began to work hard to make himself known and to complete his aspiration of making it on Broadway.

He achieved that goal at twenty-four, being cast as Fiyero in Wicked a few months ago. After seeing the ups and downs of Kevin’s career, Cheryl couldn’t help but feel immensely proud for one of her best friends, as if she was Kevin’s mother seeing her son finally succeed. However, her busy schedule had kept her away from coming to see one of his shows. Now seemed like the perfect time for she and Josie to go and see Kevin preform, splashing on front row seats that were right in the center. He was spectacular, with voice smooth and dreamy. It caused admirers from all walks of life to wait by the backstage door, begging for his autograph and some of his attention.

It wasn't until after the show and about an hour of waiting around that Kevin joined Cheryl and Josie to one of their favorite bars, one where celebrities like themselves would not be bothered by the general public. Only the elites and high class frequented this bar, giving them privacy and guaranteed the fact they would not be bothered by anyone.

“So, how are things going with Moose?” Josie asked, twirling the plastic straw in her gin and tonic. She lightly rapped the blue sword on the edge of the glass, causing a few droplets to fly from it and back into the glass.

They were seated at the bar with Kevin at the center of attention in the middle. The bar was quiet, normal for a Thursday night. In its entirety, there was most likely under thirty people in the whole bar. Cheryl liked it better that way, there was hardly a moment in her daily life that she wasn’t hounded by paparazzi or approached by fans who wanted to take a selfie with her.

Kevin shrugged as he sipped on his rum and coke, “They’re going. He’s been all over the country these last few weeks, so I haven’t seen much of him.”

“I thought you said it was any day now that he was going to pop the question?” Cheryl asked, eyebrows furrowing slightly as a dainty finger ran along the rim of her glass of wine.

“I guess I was wrong to assume that. I think he’s too focused on his job since getting that promotion,” Kevin sighed.

“Well I wouldn’t think too much about it, Kev,” Josie said soothingly, stroking his muscular shoulder. “You know how long it took our parents to get engaged and they’re more in love than they’ve ever been. Honestly, when we were in middle school, I thought it would never happen.”

“Maybe you’re right,” Kevin nodded. “Has Archie still be relentless in trying to reconnect with you?”

Josie scoffed, “Now more than ever. All he does is _mope_ around, and according to his friends, drinks, sleeps around, and avoids any musical instrument like that plague. Honestly, I don’t understand why he thinks I’ll change my mind, especially now. As if I would go back to a guy who can’t seem to function on his own. I'm not trying to be his mother.”

“Well, maybe he’s just going through a hard time,” Cheryl suggested. “Maybe he’ll clean up his act once the grieving period is over.”

“Yes, but that’s a _maybe_ ,” Josie pointed out. “He can call me when that change is made. Until then, I think I’m ready to get myself back out there.”

“Who do you have your eyes on this time?” Kevin asked, smirking slightly.

Josie shrugged in response, “No one yet, but I know there’s a dashingly handsome man out there for me just waiting to sweep me off my feet. These men just need to stop doing me so dirty first.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Kevin laughed.

Cheryl rolled her eyes while failing to supress a smile, “I’m so lucky I don’t have to worry about men like that.”

“Don’t act like you haven't had your fair share of romance troubles, Ms. Cheryl Blossom,” Kevin teased. “I think we all have received at least one text from the Veronica Lodge in the last few weeks.”

“God when will that woman just give up?” Cheryl sighed. “She’s sent a message to practically everyone in my circle. Save for my mother, thankfully.”

“Well, why don’t you return her calls and tell her you’re not interested anymore then?” Josie asked. “Unless…you _are_ still interested.”

“I’m _not_ ,” Cheryl snapped. “I just don’t have the time of day to answer her, that’s all.”

“Well, it looks like you’re getting action regardless if you’re seeing Veronica or not,” Kevin observed, smirking as he sipped his drink.

“Excuse me?” Cheryl asked, eyes snapping over to her close friend. Her voice grew hushed, “ _How can you tell_?”

“Cheryl, the three of us have been best friends since we were five. That’s twenty years of friendship. Sometimes you just know,” Kevin pointed out. “In all honesty though, I didn’t know. I had a suspicion. So, who is she? She’s probably another A-list actress, or a singer this time.”

Cheryl laughed, thinking about what to say to them. She didn’t want to tell them she had been sleeping with a dancer at a gentlemen’s club. Not that they would judge her for it, but that sort of thing was just risky business. It was a can of worms she didn’t want to open with them while sitting in a bar, but she couldn’t just steer the conversation away from the topic without giving them some sort of answer.

“It’s all fresh and new, dear Kevin,” she spoke, choosing her words carefully. “We met one night at a club and have been casually seeing each other since. I won’t speak her name or much else about her for now. Things could change at any moment and she’ll be exiled from my bed.”

“Well at least you’re getting laid,” Kevin winked. “It’s a strictly sexual relationship?”

Cheryl nodded, “Strictly sexual.”

“Do you like her though?” Josie questioned.

Cheryl paused, thinking over the question.  Did she have feelings Toni? Sure, they had amazing sex, endless chemistry, conversations that could last hours. Cheryl had never met anyone quite like her, so mysterious yet leaving Cheryl feeling like she _knew_ the woman. Toni was who she masturbated to, who she sometimes thought about whenever she saw women with braided or pink hair. But…no that couldn’t mean feelings.

“No, I don’t think so,” Cheryl said. “I’m too busy for that anyway. If I dated anyone right now, they’d surely leave me over the lack of time I have for them.”

“Fair enough,” Kevin laughed. “We may be relatively young, but I would take a risk. You’ll never know where things lead.”

“Take a risk?” Cheryl asked, perfect brows furrowing slightly.

“Explore what you have with her,” Kevin suggested. “If the sexual chemistry is amazing, maybe the romantic chemistry is too. But you’ll never know if you don’t explore that.”

Josie nodded in agreement, “He’s right. Cheryl she could be the Ross to your Rachel! You’ll never know if you don’t look and see.”

“And come on, you can’t be playing games with Veronica forever,” Kevin countered. When the two stepsiblings teamed up during a discussion, it made it hard for Cheryl to not give in. She found that it was easier to sway her during this discussion.

“What makes you think that I would like to explore a romantic relationship with her?” Cheryl asked. “Maybe we are doing just fine with where things are at.”

Kevin laughed, “You keep telling yourself that, but you’re such a hopeless romantic. The most romantic out of anyone I know.”

* * *

 

Her suitcases were packed. The four blood-red bags had been pushed up against her bedroom door, ready to be taken by her driver and placed in the back of the Cadillac that would take her to the airport. Her private jet was ready to go, equipped with divine foods and comfortable seats, unheard of on a regular commercial plane. The day she left for Miami to reunite Jason had been something she was looking forward to for over a week, always in the back of her mind as she went about her daily life. The week before going to Miami had been…relaxing almost. She had seen Kevin’s Broadway musical, spent a day on a shopping spree with Josie, even went out to dinner with Archie to catch up. Her work life was put on pause, well mostly. There were only two instances where she had received a phone call regarding an emergency at work that she needed to make a decision on. The company continued to run without her, a perk of being the CEO and owner. Cheryl quickly found that the higher up the executive ladder one was, the less work was required. She’d been on vacation for weeks, yet everyone was doing just fine without her constantly being in her office.

She was going to beat Jason to Miami by twelve hours, his flight being the following morning. Having him come after her allowed Cheryl time to get to her house and make sure that it had been cleaned to her standards, that everything looked perfect. Everything was perfect. Until it wasn’t.

“Jason! Hey! I’m just about to leave for the airport. What’s up?” Cheryl spoke enthusiastically as she answered the call from her brother.

 _“I’m sick, Cher,”_ Jason said, a fit of coughs following his sentence. _“I can’t go.”_

Cheryl’s smile dropped instantly, her happy mood disappearing with it.

“What? What do you mean you can’t go?” Cheryl asked. She was supposed to be leaving in twenty minutes to go to the airport.

Jason sighed, _“I think I have the stomach flu. I’ve been throwing up since this morning. I thought it would clear up by tomorrow, but I haven’t really gotten any better. I’m really sorry.”_

The sinking feeling continued to spread throughout Cheryl’s body as she rubbed her temples, “So there’s no way you can just come on another day?”

 _“I don’t think it’s a good idea,”_ Jason responded.

Cheryl began to feel tears brimming at her eyes. She tried desperately to suppress them, “It’s ok. You should rest.”

_“You’re not mad?”_

“No, I’m not mad. I…I should go. I have to call Betty and tell her to cancel my flight and driver,” Cheryl said, wiping at her eyes as she looked out her bedroom window.

_“Ok…I’ll let you do that. I’m really sorry, Cheryl.”_

“It’s ok, JJ,” Cheryl said, trying to sound like things were ok. “You should rest.”

The tears began leaking out of her cheeks the moment she hung up the phone. It was too good to be true. That they would have a week of just being siblings, that they would try to pretend that they didn’t have cameras following them everywhere and that people wanted photos with them wherever they went. It was supposed to be a break from the spotlight, while still being able to spend time with each other without the leering eyes of their parents.

Cheryl threw her phone on her bed, neglecting to tell Betty that the trip was ultimately cancelled. Her driver was probably on the way to retrieve her now, not knowing that she had no intentions of going to Miami anymore. Instead, she sat on the edge of her bed with her head in her hands, sobbing in a way she hadn’t in a while. Her demeanor was cracking, shattering at her fingertips. Growing up, she had spent a lot of time crying in her room. It mostly had to do with being an angsty teenager, trying to fit into what her mother deemed appropriate. Since leaving home, she had been a lot better at hardening her shell. To a point that she rarely cried anymore, at least not like this. The last time she had cried like this was when she and Veronica broke up, which had been extremely shocking for her despite being the one who ended things.

Nothing else mattered to her in that moment except how terrible she felt. Things never went her way, especially when it came to her family. It was partly the reason why she lived life for herself, not allowing other people to step into the set boundaries of her life. She should’ve known better than to get her hopes up about spending one on one time with Jason. He had always been a flake.

She wiped her tears on the sleeve of her Balenciaga sweater, sniffling harshly to keep the snot inside her nose. Veronica used to tell her she was beautiful when she cried, but Cheryl never believed her. She always felt ugly when she cried, face scrunching up in sorrow and creamy skin reddening deeply. This time was no different, despite her perfectly blown out hair and extremely expensive outfit. Cheryl never felt perfect when she cried, which was why she avoided crying whenever possible. Sometimes she couldn’t help it.

Cheryl took a few shallow breaths in attempts to calm herself down, the sobs subsiding as the minutes passed. She reached for a tissue on her bedside table, mind going quickly as other thoughts entered her brain. She wasn’t going to let this cancellation of plans ruin everything.

_“We may be relatively young, but I would take a risk. You’ll never know where things lead.”_

Kevin’s comment entered her mind, his words echoing in her skull as it barged past the other swimming thoughts. Cheryl froze in place, damp eyes flickering over to her phone on the bed. Should she even bother? Would Toni say no? Was she overstepping?

The words Kevin said continued to replay themselves over and over in her brain as the urge to pick up her phone only grew. Take a risk Cheryl.

She reached for her phone, grabbing it off of her pillow and quickly unlocking it. She had to act quickly before the reasoning inside her sub-conscious took over.  

_“Cheryl? I wasn’t expecting your call tonight.”_

The words caught in Cheryl’s throat as she heard Toni’s voice in her ear. It was too late to hang up now.

“Yeah, I wasn’t expecting to call you either,” Cheryl laughed nervously, taking a shaky breath. She hoped Toni couldn’t tell that she had been crying.

 _“Aren’t you going to Miami tonight?”_ Toni asked, still sounding a bit confused. It was unusual for Cheryl to call her, as she had never done so previously.

Cheryl sniffled, “I was supposed to. Jason bailed on me just now, he has the stomach flu.”

 _“Oh Cheryl, I’m so sorry. I know how excited you were,”_ Toni sighed. Cheryl chewed on her bottom lip, Toni’s words sending a comforting wave throughout her body. _“Are you ok?”_

Was she ok? No one had ever really asked her that in a while. It was foreign to hear it.

“I’m fine. But I had a question for you,” Cheryl began. She looked herself over in the mirror. Her makeup was still intact, despite some black stained tears on her cheeks from her mascara. She balanced her phone between her ear and shoulder as she walked towards the master bathroom in search for a wipe. “The jet is ready and so is the house, I don’t want to waste this vacation. Did you…did you want to come with me?”

 _“To Miami?”_ Toni asked.

“Yeah. In like an hour. For a week,” Cheryl explained, wiping the streaks from her cheeks. “I know it’s last minute and all, you can always say no. I just remembered what you said about not being on a plane before and I thought you deserved a vacation.”

 _“God Cheryl, that’s such a generous invitation. But I don’t think it’ll be that easy for me to a week off of work,”_ Toni sighed. That’s right, Toni had responsibilities.

Cheryl’s mood sank again, “No, I understand. I just thought it would be worth asking.”

Toni didn’t answer for a few seconds, _“Well…let me see what I can do. Reggie will probably not mind; I just have to check with my day job. Can I like, call you back?”_

“Of course. And if it doesn’t work out, don’t worry about it,” Cheryl said.

 _“I don’t really have many summer vacation outfits either,”_ Toni sighed.

“I’ll handle that,” Cheryl said quickly. “Trust me Toni, you won’t have to worry about anything.”

 _“Well that sounds like an offer I can’t refuse. Let me call my bosses and I’ll call you back?”_ Toni giggled.

“I’ll be waiting.”

The line went dead a second later, leaving Cheryl alone in her bedroom. What did she just do? When Kevin gave her the advice to take risks, he didn’t know that Toni was a dancer who she was paying. He probably thought Toni was a celebrity like they were, not someone who didn’t know what a bidet was. Cheryl bit her lip again; this might have been an awful choice to invite Toni.

Cheryl continued to think her decision over. Toni hadn’t said yes; she could say no, and they could reestablish the strictly business transaction relationship between them. But did Cheryl want that? It felt invigorating to tease at exploring that side of their relationship…maybe that wasn’t the best choice.

The decision was set in stone when she received a text from Toni twenty minutes later, make Cheryl’s stomach leap and tumble and crash down all in a span of a few seconds.

**Talked to my bosses. Somehow convinced them to let me take a week off lol. Guess I’ll be working overtime for the next month, but oh well. I can go :) I’ll meet you at the airport?**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is on the shorter side, but it sets up the next few chapters which will be long and full of our favorite girls (Cheryl and Toni) as they explore their 'relationship' while vacationing in Miami. You thought their relationship was confusing now? Just wait and see how many lines they overstep while on this vacation ;)
> 
> Comment your thoughts as always! I hope to be more consistently updating soon.  
> Love you lots  
> (twitter: erableceo)


	7. Part 1: Sept

_7._

 

Cheryl had never seen anyone react to the casual luxuries that she had every day like Toni had from the moment she arrived at the airport. With only a heavy suitcase being pulled behind her, Toni shouted up to Cheryl that she didn’t think she’d go on an airplane in her lifetime, much less a private jet. Cheryl beamed down at her from where she was standing, waiting for Toni at the top of the eight steps leading into her jet. Her fascination only increased once she climbed up the steps and inside the aircraft, shivering slightly as the mid-March air whipped through her newly retouched pink hair. She admired every surface of the jet, from the floor to the ceiling. It was somehow unfathomable to Toni that their 3-hour-flight would consist of a light dinner. Cheryl found all of Toni’s reactions to be rather enjoyable, especially once they took off from the ground.

The first time Cheryl had been on an airplane was when she was 4 months old, when her parents took she and Jason to New York City for the first time. Since then, she had been on hundreds of flights around the world, not thinking much about how things looked from above anymore. However, she found herself captivated by watching Toni stare out one of the windows, watching as they got higher and higher into the clouds. For the first time, Toni had seen the city she had been living in from above. For once, she wasn’t bustling through the streets or flagging a cab somewhere, she was able to see all of it happening right in front of her. Though it was dark, New York City shined as brightly as ever at night, allowing Toni a beautiful view. Cheryl couldn’t help but wonder what it was like to experience that for the first time, as an adult who had never been on a plane before and not a young girl who grew up with the view.

It wasn’t until they arrived in Miami’s airport, landed, and were in a car on their way to Cheryl’s Miami mansion that Toni’s excitement for being in Miami really began to show. Cheryl found herself watching Toni, who was watching everything around her. She practically soaked up the much warmer evening air as they walked down the jet stairs and into the awaiting car, barely looking at Cheryl the whole car ride in favor of looking out the window at the palm trees.

“Holy shit. This is your Miami place?”

Toni gaped widely out the window as the sedan they were in drove into the opening gate at the front of the property. [Cheryl’s Miami mansion](https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1840-S-Bayshore-Ln-Miami-FL-33133/92442054_zpid/), though it had a lot less yard space, was rather similar to the mansion she grew up in while she lived in California. Maybe that was why she had bought it in the first place, as if she were drawn to the property. It sat on Miami’s coastline, close by other neighbors but overall a private space she could enjoy, though she didn’t visit it as often as she’d like. Most of them time, the property was used for small weekend vacations with Josie or as a venue when she hosted summer parties for 4th of July. Never had she brought anyone she barely knew here, especially for a week. Though her small regret about inviting Toni left her the moment she laid eyes on the pink-haired woman, she still couldn’t help but wonder if she had made the wrong decision.

“Welcome to your vacation home for the next week,” Cheryl smiled, examining Toni’s every move. Toni was leaning forward slightly in her seat, her nose touching practically touching the tinted window next to her. Though it was dark out, the house was lit up in preparation for their arrival. Dimly lit dome lights lined the walkway that led from the driveway and to the front porch, beckoning them to walk along the illuminated path towards the tall cedar front door.

Toni’s reaction only intensified when Cheryl unlocked the front door a few minutes later, swinging it open to allow Toni to see inside. Toni’s mouth fell open as she stared dumbfounded into the main hall of the house. Cheryl watched her eyes look first at the tall ceilings and fall down to the white marble floors. This house, like her Manhattan penthouse, was rather simplistic with minimal art pieces on the wall and a shade range of only cream and beige. It contrasted with Cheryl’s rather luxurious lifestyle, but home décor didn’t always have to be extravagant.

Cheryl followed close behind Toni, who wheeled her suitcase into the house and towards the great room. The house itself smelt fresh and unfamiliar, remnants of a deep clean clung to the cool air. It was nice to be in a relatively cool house, as Florida days and especially nights could be rather uncomfortable with its high humidity.

“This must be your most expensive piece of property,” Toni observed, looking up at the two walkways of the second level. She clutched her suitcase tightly, unsure of what to do other than stare at everything around her. “Tell me I’m right.”

Cheryl chuckled, “If I did, I’d be lying.”

“No way. How much was this?” Toni asked, eyes dropping from the ceiling to look directly at Cheryl.

It was an odd question for her to have been asked. No one had really asked Cheryl how much certain things were that she bought, as they could probably afford them themselves. She couldn’t recall the last time someone had asked her how much one of her belongings were, especially in such a blunt and straightforward way. It wasn’t that she didn’t like to talk about her belongings, but Cheryl had never been one to boast about them. At least not to people she knew could not afford those same luxuries.

“I won’t tell you the price tag, but this is my third least expensive piece of property that I own,” Cheryl admitted. “The penthouse is the first, followed by my San Diego house.”

“I should’ve guessed the penthouse. Living in Manhattan definitely costs more than a pretty penny,” Toni laughed. “Your San Diego mansion must look spectacular if this is only your third least expensive one.”

Cheryl smiled, “Do you want a tour? I can show you your room so that you can drop off your bag.”

This tour was a lot longer than the one she had given Toni of her penthouse. Not only was it exceptionally larger than her penthouse, but they had to climb the long flight of stairs to the second floor where the bedrooms were. Toni eagerly soaked in each detail Cheryl commented on, though Cheryl thought she saw a brief flash of envy in her brown eyes. When they arrived at the hallway that led to the guest bedrooms, Cheryl turned to look at Toni.

“Right…so those five doors are each a separate guest bedroom. Each one has a connecting bath to it, so there really isn’t one room that’s better than the others,” Cheryl remarked, running a hand through her less than perfectly styled hair. Traveling on a plane always altered it. “I thought you’d be most comfortable sleeping in this one; it has the best view.”

“Instead of your master suite?” Toni asked, a slight tease in her voice. “How nice of you.”

Toni reached for the door knob of the bedroom Cheryl was referring to, turning it lightly and pushing it open. From the view of the doorway, the guest bedroom boasted a large and open space, complete with a view of the water from the balcony window. Two lounge chairs were situated in the corner, turned towards the windows that offered the spectacular view. The king-sized bed was in the other corner, with dozens of tops, pants, shorts, dresses, and jeweled accessories.

Toni laughed, “Wow, this is what you meant by you’ll take care of it.”

“It’s a good thing you picked this room. It would’ve ruined the reveal if you had chosen a different one,” Cheryl smiled. “I had one of my Miami managers take care of bringing these over before we landed.”

“This is mine?” Toni asked, stepping into the room with her suitcase wheeling behind her.

Cheryl nodded, “Anything you want is. They should all be suitable clothes for this Miami heat. But you’re welcome to keep them after we leave.”

Cheryl watched as Toni approached the bed, fingers gently running over the coral colored tube top and the white ripped shorts next to them. She felt herself almost anxious to know what Toni thought about the clothes.

Toni turned to look at Cheryl, using an arm to support herself on the bed.

“Well? Don’t you want to see me try it all on?” Toni asked, in the same teasing tone she always used when talking to Cheryl.

Cheryl bit her lip as she leaned against the doorway, did Toni think that she owed Cheryl that? To show off the things she had bought for her? That was the dynamic of their relationship after all. Toni did something and Cheryl would pay for it. It brought a weird feeling to the pit of her stomach.

“If you want,” Cheryl replied. “I didn’t expect anything in return when I was arranging it.”

Toni’s eyebrows raised slightly, as if in shock, “This isn’t a form of repayment. I want to show you.”

A small smile tugged at Cheryl’s lips when she heard those words. Toni wanted to show her the clothes. She stepped into the bedroom, opting to sit on one of the maroon lounge chairs. Toni’s eyes followed her as she crossed the room, that same teasing smirk never leaving her lips.

“Right. Now you sit there, and I’ll go change,” Toni smiled widely, grabbing a few things from the pile on the bed. She scurried into the bathroom a moment later, leaving Cheryl by herself deep in thought.

The complexity of their arrangement began to settle in on her. Since the beginning, their relationship had been practically a business transaction. Though it had been absolutely fine with Cheryl at first, the uncharted territory of wanting to learn more about Toni was something she didn’t expect. She didn’t just want to be paying Toni for her time. She wanted to learn everything she could about Toni, to have Toni feel like she didn’t owe Cheryl anything. Was Toni even just a dancer for Cheryl anymore? The fact they had met outside of the club was the first thing that seemed to transition their relationship into something else. Now Toni was on vacation with her in Miami. That was definitely not something that dancers did. Was Toni becoming her sugar baby? Was Cheryl now a sugar mama without even realizing it? God, she used to make fun of her friends who would go on dates with rich older men in return for a thousand dollars. But here she was pretty much doing the same thing, only she was shelling out tens of thousands of dollars for Toni’s time.

“You still out there, Bombshell?” Toni’s voice spoke from the other side of the closed bathroom door.

“I am,” Cheryl responded. “Are you ready?”

The doorknob of the bathroom door twisted open, and Toni stepped out. Cheryl’s eyes widened as she took in Toni’s appearance, dressed in a way she had never seen her dressed before. All of the times Cheryl had seen her, she had been wearing something rather revealing. This was different. Toni was wearing a mustard yellow sundress, which was decorated with small white daisies all over the fabric. The dress stopped a few inches above her knees, covering most of her thighs in a tasteful way. Though the dress did have a plunging neckline that highlighted the valley of her breasts, her shoulders were covered by sleeves that ended halfway down her upper arms. Her pink hair was flowing down her back, accenting her skin and the yellow dress.

“How do I look?” Toni asked, smiling rather bashfully at her appearance.

“Amazing,” Cheryl said, breathlessly. It was true. Despite the lack of revealing and seductive clothing, Toni still looked equally as gorgeous in a simple sundress.

“You think so?” Toni asked. There was confidence radiating off her skin, though Cheryl sensed her hesitancy. Did Toni not wear these kinds of clothes normally? Maybe she was more used to dressing seductively for people she met at the club. Or maybe this wasn’t anything like what she wore normally when she wasn’t working.

“I know so,” Cheryl nodded. “And I’ve seen enough beautiful women in my day to make that assumption.”

“What a charmer,” Toni giggled, approaching Cheryl on the chair. “Don’t you want to know what I think of you though? After all, it’s mostly you who does the complimenting.”

Cheryl smiled, looking up at Toni. She was giving her an innocent smile, brown eyes glowing in the dim light of the room, bright smile only growing as they looked at each other. Toni was hovering over her, similar to how she did the first night they had met at the club. However, there was no sexual intimidation this time, in fact Cheryl felt rather comforted by Toni’s close proximity.

“What do you think of me?” Cheryl asked. It was a question she had wondered for the past few weeks, ever since their phone conversation in Paris. Did Toni think of her as more than just a client?

Without answering, Toni lifted her leg and placed it next to Cheryl’s thigh, doing the same with the other before settling down on her lap. Cheryl expected the move, lap-sitting seemed to be something that Toni liked to do a lot. Maybe she liked the fact she was on top, or the close proximity. Cheryl definitely enjoyed it, liked giving up a bit of the control that she thoroughly grasped onto.

“I think,” Toni began, her voice soft and barely above a whisper. “I think Esquire should give you the Sexiest Woman Alive award every year.”

Cheryl gulped dryly, feeling the goosebumps rising on her arms as Toni stroked a finger lightly against the bridge of her nose.

“You’re absolutely gorgeous inside and out. For someone so famous, the fact you have such a good and pure soul is something I never expected. Like honestly, I expected someone much different than who you are. But I guess you’re just like your interviews…maybe just more tuned down a bit.”

“It’s exhausting being a celebrity, you know,” Cheryl mentioned, basking in the touch of Toni’s finger along her jawline. “To exaggerate your personality constantly is really draining.”

“Well I think everyone would like your personality even if you didn’t exaggerate it,” Toni giggled. “You’re purity in an otherwise tainted industry.”

Cheryl smiled, no one had said such nice things about her in awhile. Though she knew what Toni was telling her, it felt even better to hear it from someone else. Especially her, for some reason. Why did she care so much about the opinion of a dancer from Reggie’s club?

“Thank you for the clothes though, I appreciate it so much,” Toni said, thumbs running along Cheryl’s collar bones. Her hands made their descent down Cheryl’s torso, tracing the hem of her blouse. Cheryl felt her skin almost tingle wherever Toni touched out, causing her grip to tighten on the chair’s armrests.

Toni’s fingers dipped under her blouse, and Cheryl felt her warm fingers touch her bare skin lightly. Her muscles tensed under her touch as Toni placed her head against Cheryl’s shoulder. She’s just trying to repay you, Cheryl thought. It wasn’t a thought she liked.

 “Are you hungry?” Cheryl asked abruptly.

The question caused Toni to frown. She straightened up in Cheryl’s lap, hands gripping onto Cheryl’s shoulders to keep herself steady.

“Kind of... Why? Are you trying to cook for me, Bombshell?” Toni smirked, immediately regaining her composure after Cheryl’s unexpected change.

“I can. Would you like to help me?” Cheryl said softly. “The fridge should be fully stocked.”

“Help you cook?” Toni asked, climbing off of Cheryl’s lap to sit in the other lounge chair across from her. “Kind of a different route than what I was expecting to go.”

“Yeah. Do you like vegan food?” Cheryl asked, resisting the urge to reach out and keep physical contact between she and Toni.

Toni shrugged, “I’m not sure. Isn’t it all vegetables and tofu? Isn’t that boring?”

“It’s not all vegetables. There’s…like lentils,” Cheryl defended, standing up. She extended a hand for Toni. “Just trust me. You’ll like what I cook.”

“Alright, I’ll trust you,” Toni giggled, placing her hand in Cheryl’s. Cheryl easily pulled Toni to her feet; she really was so much shorter than Cheryl when she wasn’t wearing heels. “Let’s see if you can blow my taste buds away with vegetables. Though, I was one of those kids who put a fight when it came to eating my vegetables at dinner, so you better make this spectacular.”

* * *

 

“Do you not have much experience in the kitchen?” Cheryl asked, looking up from the avocados she was cutting open to look at Toni. Toni was currently struggling with dicing a bright red tomato, making hesitant and uneven slices with the large knife she was holding.

“Is that supposed to be a dig at my cooking skills?” Toni laughed sarcastically. She sliced downward once more, producing a slice of tomato that was far too thick.

“Not at all. It’s just a question,” Cheryl responded, slamming the blade of her knife into the pit of the avocado so that she could remove it.

“Let’s just say that growing up I didn’t really have a good enough kitchen to be able to prepare meals like this,” Toni explained, still focused on dicing the tomato. “It was a lot of microwave meals and stuff you could just eat in a pot. I know how to make some dinners, like chicken. And I definitely did not have extremely sharp Japanese knives that could slice my finger off with one wrong movement.”  

“Can I give you a few pointers on dicing a tomato?” Cheryl asked, setting down her knife next to the avocado halves. “Just so that you don’t accidentally slice your finger off.”

“Sure, Bombshell,” Toni laughed. “I could use all the help I can get honestly.”

Cheryl smiled, happy with the fact someone was accepting her help. Most people just brushed her off. She rounded the marble island of the kitchen, approaching Toni who was staring at the ripe tomato like it was a large mountain she had to overcome.

“Show me how you hold a knife,” Cheryl commanded. A calming feeling washed over her, the same one that always made its presence known when she was close to Toni.

Toni let go of the tomato and held up the knife firmly. She gripped the handle tightly with her thumb and three fingers, her pointer finger extended and perched on top of the backside of the blade. She held the knife with uncertainty, afraid that it was going to easily slip from her grasp. She held it so wrong in a few ways, but Cheryl found she didn’t really mind. If it had been anyone else, she would’ve rolled her eyes at the incompetence.

“Don’t grip so tightly,” Cheryl said, reaching out to touch Toni’s hand. She wrapped it gently around Toni’s as she felt Toni’s grip on the handle loosen under her hand. “And don’t put your finger on top of the blade. It doesn’t really help with your grip at all.”

“Yes, chef,” Toni teased, but obliged. “Anything else I’m doing terribly wrong?”

“That’s about it. Just make sure you hold the tomato with the tips of your fingers. That way you have less of a chance of slicing one of them off,” Cheryl said, letting go of Toni’s hand. “Try to slice another piece.”

Cheryl watched as Toni awkwardly held the knife but sliced down firmly in one motion. The sound of her knife coming down made a satisfying chop against the cutting board, producing a more appropriately sized slice of tomato for their vegan burrito bowls. Cheryl smiled slightly as she continued to watch Toni try to slice. She wasn’t great, but she had gotten better just from a simple change in hand technique.

It wasn’t until they were standing over the island, practically shoveling rice and vegetables into their mouths, that Cheryl felt she had made the right decision to invite Toni to Miami. The initial awkwardness had worn off, instead it was replaced with a casual intimacy. Though they weren’t fucking like rabbits on top of the kitchen counter, the feeling of intimacy was still somewhat present as Toni reached over and playfully shoved a piece of avocado in Cheryl’s mouth, smearing it across her face more than anything. Cheryl found herself picking up a handful of black beans and throwing them at Toni, causing them to hit her arms and chest before falling to the ground. A few even hit her face. The playful tone of their interactions was a nice change from their usual interactions, having been all sexually driven up until this point.

“You got black beans in my bra!” Toni gasped, a hand quickly diving down her shirt so that she could fish the black beans out.

Cheryl laughed loudly, “That’s what you get for smearing avocado all over my face.”

“Wrong! I was not smearing. I was merely giving you an avocado face mask,” Toni countered, as she threw the few black beans that had ended up down her shirt at Cheryl. Cheryl dodged them by ducking under the island. “This is really good food. I’m impressed I’m enjoying it so much.”

“That’s because you have me as a chef,” Cheryl replied. “I make the best food.”

“I think we both made some pretty good food. It wasn’t you who spent ten minutes cutting tomatoes,” Toni pointed out.

“You’re right. If it had been me, I would’ve done it in three,” Cheryl teased.

“Rude!” Toni gasped in mock hurt. “I’m sorry not all of us were raised taking cooking classes and instead had to live off of microwave meals and pizza. Thank you for bringing me out here though. I like Miami already and it’s been what? Two hours?”

“I’m glad you came. I definitely needed the escape,” Cheryl said, eating another bite of her burrito bowl. She glanced up at Toni as she was spooning another mouthful into her mouth, catching Toni’s soft and warm brown eyes once more. The sudden urge to lean over and kiss her washed through her body. Should she? No, probably not. The fact Toni was in Miami with her and not one of her real friends was already enough overstepping of boundaries for now.

“I definitely never had the money to travel, so this is probably one of the only opportunities I’m going to get,” Toni admitted, taking a large bite of brown rice. They were nearing the end of their dinner now, polishing off the last of the avocado slices.

“Where did you grow up?” Cheryl asked, testing the waters.

Toni seemed hesitant to answer at first.

“Riverdale,” she finally said, something Cheryl was surprised to hear. Cheryl noticed a sudden change in Toni’s demeanor, as if a new woman had replaced the Toni she had known. Did she even know Toni? Or was she just Diamond? “Do you know where that is?”

“It’s a few hours from the city. I know of it,” Cheryl nodded. “Did you like it there?”

“No,” Toni responded quickly. “I grew up on the poor side. The south side. For a suburban town, there was a lot of gang violence and drug activity.”

“Is that the gang you said you were a part of when you lived there?” Cheryl wondered.

“Yeah. I spent my time as a kid selling drugs to those who lived on the northside just to buy a couple slices of pizza,” Toni said, her expression turning somber. As if she was remembering years of childhood pain in one moment. She stared off into space for a few moments, before blinking rapidly as she snapped out of it. Her demeanor began to change once again, as if she was returning back to Diamond. Cheryl had a feeling that she was. The real Toni was the glimmer of the woman she had just seen now. The one who grew up dirt poor and finding comfort in a gang. That must be Toni. “Should we clean up all the beans on the floor?”

“No, someone will come tomorrow and clean up before we wake up,” Cheryl responded, waving her off. She was focused on finding out more about who Toni was, who the real Toni was.

“You’ve been weird tonight,” Toni stated. “Is there something going on?”

“Weird? I’m not being weird,” Cheryl frowned. “What makes you think so?”

Toni shrugged, “Well for starters, you pretty much rejected me when I was feeling you up. Not that it’s anything weird, just…the nature of these sorts of things-.”

Cheryl sighed, “I just don’t want you to feel like you have to do something for me whenever I give you something. Be it money or clothes or…I don’t know.”

“Well, isn’t that pretty much what this is? Isn’t that why I’m here?” Toni asked, raising her eyebrows.

“Yes, but… I don’t know. I don’t like how that feels. Like I don’t want you to feel like you have to do something, it just feels wrong,” Cheryl admitted. She had to choose her words carefully, she didn’t want to let it slip that she wished they could continue their relationship without the pressure of a transaction being involved. She didn’t want it to feel like she was paying for Toni’s affection, which was exactly what she was doing.

A smirk teased Toni’s lips, “So you’re trying to feel chivalrous then?”

“No. I just thought when I invited you that it could be a vacation for both of us. I really don’t want you to think that whenever I do something for you that you owe me some sort of sexual gratification. I get that’s something you might’ve done with other people, but I don’t really like it,” Cheryl continued. “When I give you things or do something for you, I don’t expect anything in return. I do it because I want to for you, not because I want you to have sex with me.”

Toni smiled, “A diamond in the rough. And for the record, I haven’t done this with other people. The reason I don’t is to avoid situations like this one where it becomes a grey area.”

Cheryl laughed dryly, “How about this. For the next week there’s no owing anyone, we just do things because we want to. No matter what it is.”

Toni didn’t need long to think it over, “Deal. You know, it’s real sexy when you show me that kind of respect. I don’t see it too often anymore.”

Toni straightened up from where she was hunched over the island, giving Cheryl a familiar seductive look. She reached for Cheryl’s hand, taking it gently in hers.

“I’m kind of really in the mood for a bubble bath, would you like to join me?” Toni asked. “And I’m only asking because I want you to be sitting across from me in a bubble bath, not because I feel like I owe you.”

Cheryl smiled and allowed Toni to lead her away from the island, “Yeah, I’d like that.”

* * *

 

It wasn’t until she was submerged in warm water and fizzing bubbles while holding a glass of champagne that Cheryl realized how lucky she was. Despite the millions in her bank account and publicity she received, it took Toni undressing in front of her and pouring her a glass of champagne to realize it. Though Cheryl had seen Toni stark naked before, the same couldn’t be said for Toni seeing Cheryl. She removed her clothing as the large bathtub in the master bath filled, and she could feel Toni’s eyes watching her as she unclipped her bra and slid it down her shoulders.

She didn’t feel embarrassed, but she did feel conscious about what Toni thought of her. Cheryl had done a few rather revealing photoshoots, but never completely naked for all to see. Toni’s comments of appreciation settled those initial nerves, and she felt utter relaxation wash over her body once she slipped beneath the bubbles.

Once pouring both of their glasses, Toni sank into the bubbles across from Cheryl while clutching the crystal glass. There was soft music coming from the speaker directly above them, playing R&B songs that Cheryl had never heard of before. Toni sipped her champagne as Cheryl sighed deeply, leaning her head back to allow her hair to get wet.

“How is it you look just as good without makeup?” Toni mused.

“The same can be said for you, I’m not the only one bare faced,” Cheryl pointed out, sitting up in the tub. She could feel Toni’s legs touching hers, brushing up against hers in the water every so often. Toni with a bare face was gorgeous, not that Cheryl expected any different. Her eyebrows were a bit lighter, and she had some dark coloration around her eyelids.

“Do you ever realize how good you have it?” Toni asked, sipping her champagne as she watched Cheryl. “And I’m not trying to sound mean or anything. I’m genuinely wondering.”

Cheryl shrugged, “Most days I don’t think much about it. Right now I do, since you’re sitting naked across from me.”

“You could literally dump that whole bottle of champagne into the tub with us and wouldn’t think anything of it,” Toni said. “It’d be a blessing to be as rich as you.”

In response, Cheryl lifted her glass of champagne and flipped it upside down. The golden liquid spilled out of the glass and into the water. Toni gasped. “I didn’t mean it seriously!”

“It’s not all great,” Cheryl said between giggles. “It becomes almost like a constant paranoia when you have people watching you all the time. Not only do the paparazzi follow me with cameras, but people in general just can’t seem to give me privacy. They don’t realize they do it, but it’s rather invasive when someone comes up to me while I’m out eating dinner to ask for a picture.”

“Sounds like you’re an animal on display at a zoo,” Toni mused. “I guess I’d want to be rich without the fame then.”

“You want to know something?” Cheryl asked Toni, as she poured herself a new glass of champagne.  

“Spill,” Toni replied, her hand that was underwater had begun to stroke Cheryl’s leg.

“I sometimes wish that I was normal. Like I lived a normal life and had a normal job and had a normal amount of money,” Cheryl admitted.

She half expected Toni to laugh and tell her how ungrateful she was. But Toni didn’t make fun of her for wanting to live a normal life. Instead, she gave Cheryl a soft smile.

“I totally understand that. I’m sure it can be a lot, even for someone who seems to just be good at being a celebrity,” Toni nodded. “That’s definitely a valid thing to say, but you weren’t made to be normal. You weren’t put on this earth to have an office job and one house. You were meant to change the world with your designs, the fame and fortune just came with that.”

Cheryl smiled at Toni’s comment. Despite not being rich and famous, Toni seemed to understand where she was coming from. She felt like she could be honest with Toni and knew that no matter what she said Toni wouldn’t judge her. She liked that, the feeling she got when she talked to Toni about things that she didn’t share with just anyone. Not even Josie knew of her want to be normal.

“You want to know something?” Toni asked Cheryl, sipping her champagne before pouring herself another glass.

Cheryl nodded.

“I don’t want to be famous either,” Toni admitted. “I’d take having to scrape together money for dinner every night than have to worry about people taking photos of me wherever I went. It’s just not for me. I think I’d have a panic attack from all the people following me and talking about me.”

“I guess you had very humble beginnings then,” Cheryl smiled weakly.

Toni laughed, “You could say that. But those beginnings are still very humble. You’re talking to a high school dropout right here.”

“You dropped out of high school?” Cheryl asked, rather surprised.

Toni nodded, “Yeah. I got held back in third grade, so I was already a year behind everyone else. I had just turned eighteen and was still a junior, at that point I wanted nothing to do with the public-school system. So, I dropped out and moved to New York City a few weeks later.”

“That was it?” Cheryl asked. “You just dropped out and left?”

“Pretty much. I got my GED a couple years ago, so I technically did graduate high school. Better late than never I guess.” Toni laughed dryly.

“How old are you?” Cheryl wondered.

“Twenty-three.”

It was younger than Cheryl expected. She assumed they were the same age, yet Toni was a good two years younger than her.

“Not really a lot of job opportunities out there when you didn’t even graduate high school,” Toni said. “Except being a stripper.”

“What would you like to be doing? I assume dancing at a gentlemen’s club isn’t where you see yourself ending up,” Cheryl questioned.

Toni thought for a moment and took another long sip of champagne, “A photographer.”

“Do you see yourself achieving that?”

Toni shook her head, “I barely even have enough free time to eat and sleep. I’ll be working until I’m in the ground at this point. Plus, there isn’t really much money to be made when you’re just starting off as a photographer. I can’t afford that.”

“Understandable.”

“It really puts into perspective how much different our lives are, huh? You grew up going to private school and a prestigious university, while I dropped out and became a dancer,” Toni sighed.

“How did you know I went to private school?” Cheryl asked. “Did you stalk me on Wikipedia?”

“I might have,” Toni admitted, a bit bashful from being caught. “Can’t blame me for being curious about you.”

Cheryl beamed, a warm feeling traveling up her skin and into her cheeks. Toni looked at her in such a way that made her heart flutter, something she had never felt before while they were together. She longed to be closer to Toni. Could this be a good opportunity to explore that?

It took Cheryl a few moments before she realized that Toni was reaching for her hand, tugging her lightly towards her. Cheryl complied easily, allowing herself to be rotated so that she was leaning against Toni’s chest, feeling her breasts resting against her backside. Toni’s free hand had wrapped itself gently around her waist, resting just above her thighs. Cheryl reached across the bathtub and placed her champagne glass on the ledge next to the bottle, wanting nothing more than to bask in the relaxation and comfort she was experiencing. She could feel Toni breathing behind her, her chest rising and falling slowly as they sat in silence.

As the minutes passed, Cheryl found herself almost nodding off as they sat in the bubbles and warm water. Toni’s free hand had gone from resting against her abdomen, to raking her fingers gently against Cheryl’s scalp. The feeling was rather euphoric, especially for a woman so starved of physical affection.

Toni lowered her head carefully, lips lightly touching the pulse point of Cheryl’s neck. Cheryl sighed at the feeling, basking in gentle head massage and tender lips against her skin. Toni/s hand moved downward, skating over the protrusions of her collar bones and down to her left breast. She palmed it with care, gently squeezing it under her fingertips. Cheryl felt herself leaning backwards, pressing herself even more against Toni’s bare chest. This was a luxury she would choose over any other.

Cheryl closed her eyes and allowed her head to fall backwards onto Toni’s shoulder, skin tingling as Toni set down her glass of champagne and allowed her hand to dive beneath the bubbles to stroke Cheryl’s thigh. Toni continued to massage her breast beneath the water, lips sucking lightly on Cheryl’s jaw bone. Cheryl felt her teeth lightly scrap against her skin, causing her to grip Toni’s thigh tightly. How much money did she have to pay in order to stay like this forever?

The hand on Cheryl’s thigh grew more adventurous, skating inward towards her aching center. Cheryl practically shuddered in anticipation as Toni’s delicate fingers ran over her sensitive bundle of nerves, only lightly applying pressure before returning to her slight stroking motion. Neither said a word to each other, only barely listening to the sound of water moving over the soft music. Cheryl craved to be touched more, to feel more than what Toni was allowing her to feel. It felt so good to feel Toni touching her, for her hand to switch between each breast and the other to be giving her some sort of relief between her legs.

Cheryl spread her legs wider in the bathtub, allowing Toni even easier access. Toni took this as encouragement to continue, and she pressed two fingers down against Cheryl’s clit. Cheryl gasped in response, nails digging into the skin of Toni’s thigh. Toni’s fingers began a circular motion over her clit, lips pressing against the area behind her ear lightly.

“Toni,” Cheryl mumbled, tilting her head to the side to allow Toni better access to her neck. Toni continued to touch her, to kiss her neck, and bite lightly at her skin. All of the sensations combined, on top of the warm water and bubbles, was making Cheryl’s mind hazy. She was only focused on how good she felt in that moment.

Toni didn’t respond, after a few minutes of teasing Cheryl felt Toni’s fingers travel downwards, one pressing lightly into her opening. She felt the tip of her middle finger easily slip into her entrance, slowly sinking deeper. Cheryl moaned, clutching Toni’s thighs tightly with both hands now. Toni began a steady rhythm, pumping a single digit in and out with skill.

Cheryl continued to moan softly, gasping in pleasure as Toni bit down on her shoulder. It shot pleasure up her spine and down to where Toni’s hand was buried between her legs.

“Just let go,” Toni mumbled against the shell of Cheryl’s ear. “Just feel me.”

Cheryl obeyed eagerly, allowing her muscles to continue to relax. Another one of Toni’s fingers entered Cheryl without warning, adding a sudden burst of pleasure throughout her body. She exhaled sharply as she felt her tight walls stretching around Toni’s fingers, which continued their relentless rhythm inside her.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Cheryl moaned.

She wasn’t much of a swearer; the words left a bad taste in her mouth whenever she said them. But damn, Toni brought out all kinds of words when she was fucking her.

Toni laughed lowly behind her, a kind of laugh far different than her giggle. It was primal, almost gruff. It caused a strong shiver throughout Cheryl’s body as her back arched. Toni’s hand curved, burying her fingers deeper into Cheryl. Her palm was still resting on her clit, pushing down to continue the stimulation.

It was in that moment that Cheryl felt a moment of clarity. Like her senses had cleared from the haziness of Toni’s fingers in one instant. Toni seemed to really understand her. Despite their very different backgrounds, Toni listened to her and could sympathize. She knew just what to say and when to say it, allowing Cheryl to open up to her faster than she had with anyone else. What was this feeling?

Toni’s fingers sped up as she neared her orgasm, giving her a climax so intense that she saw stars in her vision. Her thighs shook and her toes curled, hips grinding down into Toni’s hand as the waves of euphoria washed over her. She had never experienced this sort of intimacy with anyone before, not even Veronica, the woman she thought she was going to marry. Toni knew just what to do to have Cheryl melting in her hand, knew just how much she should tease and give in to Cheryl’s desires.

Cheryl opened her eyes after she began to recover, gasping slightly as Toni’s fingers withdrew from her center and rested on her thigh. She let go of her grip on Toni’s legs; her nails had probably left deep marks in the shorter woman’s skin. She sighed and leaned back against Toni again, not knowing what she should say to her.

Toni didn’t say anything either, instead she returned to running a hand through Cheryl’s hair softly. Always so soft and gentle.

Cheryl sat in thought, with what little thoughts she could form after the orgasm she just had. All she wanted to do was fall asleep in the bathtub with Toni, the _real_ Toni. She wanted to know more about the girl who grew up eating microwave meals and pizza, the one who had to work for every penny she ever earned. She wanted to see what Toni was like when she didn’t hide behind the metaphoric mask that was Diamond, the woman who was only there to please. She didn’t want Diamond to be there to please her, she wanted Toni.

“Toni?” Cheryl asked, thinking over her words carefully.

“Yeah, Cheryl?” Toni responded; voice somewhat raspy in her ear.

“You don’t have to keep pretending to be Diamond around me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry i took literally two weeks to update! this chapter was a lot longer than the other ones i have written, and i have enlisted the kind and generous help of a beta reader to help me make these chapters even better! i hope to continue to produce high quality chapters at a frequent rate, but forgive me if i take a while. it's because i want to make sure that it's an amazing chapter :)
> 
> hope you enjoyed :D leave a comment if you feel like it. see you soon


	8. Part 1: Huit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah this chapter is 7k words, but it's because i love all of you and am making up for my lack of updates. enjoy xx

_8._

Cheryl’s mind was swimming with thoughts from their conversation in the bathtub the night before. She tossed and turned in the large master bed, adjusting the covers and what side she was laying on dozens of times. Her mind wouldn’t let her relax, continuously nit picking every detail they had shared. _You don’t have to keep pretending to be Diamond around me._ The words repeated themselves over and over again in her head, why did she say that to her?

Toni’s reaction to those words were all the more confusing. She had simply given her a small smile and sighed, not saying anything further about the topic. They sat in silence for quite some time, only getting up to put on bathrobes when the steaming water got too cool. They only exchanged a few more words before Toni retired to her bedroom, leaving Cheryl’s thoughts to fester as she continued to think about what had happened. Her thoughts followed her throughout the night, not even allowing Cheryl a few minutes of rest by the time the first sign of the sun began to light up the sky. Growing frustrated, Cheryl threw the covers from her body and got up in a hurry. If her mind wasn’t going to let her get some sleep, she might as well do something productive instead of stay in her bed.

She was on the treadmill less than ten minutes later, jogging at a pace faster than usual. The home gym on the first floor of her mansion had a perfect view of the water, allowing Cheryl to watch the fishing boats leave the marina just as the sun had started rising. It was going to be a hot day, the breeze coming through the open windows already showed signs of humidity. Cheryl increased the speed of the treadmill as she continued to run faster, breaking out into a thin sweat. She pushed the thoughts of she and Toni’s conversation from her mind, along with the constant desire she felt for the younger woman. The more she thought about it, the more she would work herself up over it. It was unusual for her to care so much about something that didn’t relate to her work life. Women came and went…but this was different. She felt like she needed to know what Toni was thinking, if she was put off by the comment or if she was taking it to heart.

Cheryl continued to work out for over an hour, switching from the treadmill to various core and leg exercises. Exercising had always been her escape, always leaving her feeling better afterwards. She felt droplets of sweat rolling down her back and neck, only stopping when they reached the waistband of her black yoga pants or the crevice between her breasts.

She left the home gym relatively fatigued but feeling more energized than when she was in bed. Cheryl walked into the kitchen, noticing the large container of sliced fruit on the island. A basket she had arranged to be delivered before Jason had bailed on her. Ignoring the fruit and bitter taste in her mouth, Cheryl turned to begin preparing herself a protein shake.

She froze slightly as her eyes shifted to the long white box next to the fruit that she hadn’t noticed at first. There was a small red bow on it, with her name written in cursive on a small card. She put down the protein powder she was holding so that she could pick up the long box. Running her hands on the edge, she lifted the lid to reveal a wrist watch. The silver plates of the watch were covered in tiny diamonds, which caused the sunlight coming through the window to reflect against it in a glaring way.

She reached out to take the watch from the box, inspecting it carefully. It was just the right size to fit her. The clasp closed easily, securely keeping it the expensive piece of jewelry on her freckled wrist. Cheryl inspected the watch again in the light, before reaching for the card.

_Cheryl_

_Really sorry I couldn’t make it to our sibling vacation. I hope you enjoy Miami, don’t have too much fun. Hope to see you soon._

_Jason_

An apology present. She rolled her eyes and began making her protein shake.

It wasn’t until she was vigorously shaking the bottle that Toni made her appearance in the kitchen. It was not too long after 8am, but Cheryl hadn’t expected Toni to be up for a while considering how late they had gone to bed. Seeing Toni after she had just woken up was new and somewhat different. She was still in her pajamas, which consisted of a short pair of pink cloth shorts and a white tube top that clung tightly to her skin. Her pink hair was slightly disheveled and styled back into two box braids.

“Good morning,” she said smoothly as Cheryl looked her over. A small smile tugged at the corner of Toni’s lips, seemingly well rested and in a good mood.

“Good morning. I’m surprised you’re up this early,” Cheryl returned, taking a long sip of the protein shake she had made.

Toni shrugged before moving to sit at one of the tall chairs in front of the island, “I’m a morning person.”

“Are you?” Cheryl asked.

“God no,” Toni laughed, glancing around the kitchen. “But I had trouble sleeping and was summoned by the smell of coffee.”

“I made a pot if you want some. There’s mugs in the cabinet above it,” Cheryl said, nodding to the coffee pot by the fridge. Cheryl wondered if she should bring up what had happened the night before, if Toni had barely slept for the same reason as her. “It’s Vietnamese.”

“Fancy,” Toni giggled, getting up to walk towards the coffee pot. “How come you’re up so early? Are you a morning person?”

“I kind of have to be. There’s no time to sleep in when you’re a public figure,” Cheryl said. “But I couldn’t really sleep either, so I decided to get a workout in.”

“How health conscious of you,” Toni said as she poured herself a mug of hot coffee. “Do you want some too?”

“Please,” Cheryl nodded.

“How do you take your coffee?” Toni asked, reaching for another mug. She had to stand on her tiptoes to reach the shelf, which caused her shorts to ride up her thighs.

Cheryl’s eyes traveled up Toni’s backside as she took in the view, “A splash of almond milk and two sugars.”

When Toni brought their two mugs of coffee to the island, Cheryl thanked Toni before taking a sip of the searing hot liquid. She watched Toni lift the matching mug to her lips, noticing the color of her coffee as she took a sip.

“You drink your coffee black?” Cheryl asked. “It’s not too bitter for you like that?”

Toni shook her head, “I don’t mind it.”

“You do not take me as the type to drink black coffee,” Cheryl laughed, taking a large gulp of her protein shake. “Are you a coffee snob?”

“Well there’s a lot you don’t know about me and would be surprised to find out,” Toni said, walking towards the large windows of the kitchen. She took another sip of her coffee, “You have jet skis? I’ve always wanted to go on one.”

Toni turned to Cheryl with excitement, the same excitement she saw on her face the night before.

“I would totally say let’s go, but we will definitely be on the front cover of Us Weekly if we do. I can’t risk being photographed,” Cheryl said. “Especially with you.”

“Oh right, the whole closeted thing. You really do have a lot of speculation about your sexuality. Sounds like someone would pay big money for information about your secret,” Toni said, waving off Cheryl. “But wait, who exactly would photograph us?”

“The paparazzi on that boat out there,” Cheryl said casually, nodding out to the water. She walked the short distance from the island to stand next to Toni.

“That fishing boat?” Toni laughed. “Are you sure you’re not paranoid?”

Instead of answering, Cheryl reached for a pair of binoculars that were resting on top of a small table nearby. She held them out to Toni, “See for yourself.”

Toni lifted the binoculars to her eyes, allowing her to clearly see the men standing on the deck of the boat. They held cameras with long lenses, watching Cheryl’s property from a respectable distance. Waiting for her to step outside so that they could take grainy photographs to sell to magazines.

“What? How on Earth did they already find out you’re here?” Toni asked, shock in her voice.

“Word spreads fast,” Cheryl said simply.

“And they just sit out there all day? Disguised as fishermen?”

Cheryl nodded, “It’s just part of my daily life. I’ve grown used to it.”

“So, what can we do then?” Toni asked. “Or are we not allowed to leave because they’re sitting outside your house with cameras too?”

Cheryl laughed, “This is a gated community Toni, only people who live here are allowed to be in the neighborhood. We can leave and be fine. There’s a private beach club I’m a member of nearby, do you want to go? It’s fairly exclusive so everyone minds their own business.”

“Sipping on piña coladas all day by the beach?” Toni mused. “Sign me up.”

* * *

 

“Holy shit, _these_ are your cars?” Toni asked, as she stepped into Cheryl’s garage. She immediately walked up to the first car, fingers brushing against Cheryl’s signature red convertible.

“Three of them, yeah,” Cheryl nodded. “Most of them were gifts.”

Toni laughed, “Wow I could never imagine gifting someone a luxury car. Man, Sweet Pea is gonna flip after I tell him.”

“Sweet Pea?” Cheryl asked. It was an odd name. Was Sweet Pea her boyfriend?

Toni looked up at Cheryl, “Oh, he’s my best friend. We’ve been friends since we were like four. He’s an auto mechanic.”

Relief washed over Cheryl. “Well, you can pick between the three cars. We’ll go in whichever one decide on.”

“Definitely this one,” Toni said, quickly walking towards the sleek black car parked furthest away from them. "There’s something super sexy about a jaguar. Who gave this one to you?”

Cheryl laughed, “Some Saudi prince when I turned twenty-one.”

“Sounds like you have a lot of admirers,” Toni giggled, sitting on the hood of the car.

“You don’t know the half of it.”

Toni beamed in Cheryl’s direction, eyes quickly surveying the taller woman, “Well I can see why.”

It wasn’t until the black jaguar had approached the gates of the neighborhood that Cheryl froze up. She saw the men waiting on the other side of the iron fence, large cameras held at the ready and waiting for her. They’d immediately recognize her once they passed the threshold of the private community and into the public world and they’d see she had Toni with her too.

Cheryl put her foot on the brakes, slowing a car to a halt as she stared ahead of her. The familiar anxiety washed over her the longer they idled a few dozen feet in front of the gate. She’d lost count of how many times she had found herself on edge and anxious whenever she went out with Veronica while they were together. Paparazzi following them everywhere, trying to catch some sort of PDA between the two to try and confirm their long-term relationship. She bit her lip and drummed her thumbs on the steering wheel, this really was about to turn into a repeat of she and Veronica’s hidden romance.

“Are you okay?” Toni asked, looking at Cheryl with concern as she put the car in park. “It’s ok, we can turn around and go back to your place.”

Cheryl continued to stare at the cameras waiting for her, “No it’s ok, I just never get used to the anxiety.”

“Do you really care what they think that much?” Toni wondered. “Or is it more what your mom thinks?”

“My mother,” Cheryl replied immediately. “But you know after a while of reading what hundreds of people that I don’t know have to say about me, you start to care about what they think about you too.”

Toni reached for Cheryl’s hand, squeezing it firmly in a comforting way. Cheryl’s gaze dropped from the iron gate to their interlocked hands, “Hey, you shouldn’t be thinking about all of that. You’re Cheryl fucking Blossom for god’s sake! People will always be envious of the person they wish they were. And you know, whatever photos they take of us now will probably be used in a poorly written article about how I’m your rumored girlfriend, but who’s going to care after a few days? They can speculate all they want, but it won’t be the truth until you come out and say it is.”  

“My mother will care,” Cheryl laughed dryly.

“Well fuck your mother!” Toni retorted. “You’re twenty-five years old and a fully grown and completely independent woman! Let her talk all the shit she wants about who you are, one person shouldn’t keep you from expressing who you are.”

“It’s not just one person. She wouldn’t be the only one who didn’t agree with my lifestyle,” Cheryl said defensively, feeling a sudden flare of anger in her chest.

“The people who don’t agree with your lifestyle are literally the _minority_ ,” Toni replied, looking directly at Cheryl. “Why do you care so much about what everyone in the world thinks about you? No wonder you’re so anxious and stressed out all the time, caring about other people’s opinions is exhausting.”

Cheryl refused to look Toni in the eyes, instead she looked straight ahead at the men on the other side of the gate, “It’s just how I was raised Toni, you wouldn’t understand.”

“Yeah, I don’t understand,” Toni answered, squeezing Cheryl’s hand tightly. “But what I do know is that you shouldn’t be living your whole life hiding who you are. You’re going to regret it when you’re older.”

“It’s just a big leap,” Cheryl admitted. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”

“Cheryl, I’m not telling you to walk up to those cameras right now and tell them you like pussy,” Toni said firmly. “I’m telling you that you should feel comfortable enough being seen out with women to not feel like it would be the end of the world if they wrote an article about you speculating your sexuality.”

The anxiety tying a tight knot in her stomach released slightly at Toni’s words. Maybe she was right.

“You have a really dirty mouth, you know that right?” Cheryl giggled, sighing loudly.

Toni shrugged, “You asked for the real Toni, you’re getting the real Toni.”

“You’re right though, I shouldn’t care. I just can’t help it,” Cheryl sighed.

“Well, right now you have a choice to make. We can turn around and just hang out at your place or we can drive through that mob of cameras and not give a fuck about what the media or your mom is going to say,” Toni said, letting go of Cheryl’s hand.

Cheryl bit her lip in thought, “If we drive through, can you like… put your hands over your face or something? Trust me when I say this, but the journalists who work for these gossip magazines will find out every little detail about you and have an article about it by tomorrow morning.”

“You think I’m scared of a little privacy violation?” Toni laughed. Cheryl gave her a serious look, silencing Toni’s laughter. “Of course, I’ll cover my face. Let’s go.”

Cheryl reached for the gear shift, putting the car in drive before idling forward.

“Ready?” Cheryl asked, glancing at Toni next to her.

“Ready,” Toni nodded, plucking the large floppy hat off of Cheryl’s head and placing it in front of her face.

* * *

 

Cheryl had only ever brought Kevin and Josie with her as guests to the beach club. It was specifically for the rich and famous who vacationed or lived in the area, boasting two pools, sauna, and a long strip of private beach. It was one of the only ways Cheryl could enjoy the sun in Miami without the prying eyes of fans or paparazzi trying to take her photo. Anyone who did recognize Cheryl at the beach club didn’t say anything, no one approached her for her photo or to ask her questions. On the occasion that she did interact with any other guests, they were cordial conversations that had nothing to do with her fame. Cheryl treasured moments like that, where she was treated as a regular person and not a fashion mogul.

Though she half expected Toni to be as amazed about the beach club as she was about Cheryl’s mansion, Toni instead showed no signs of it even as they were settling down in their lounge chairs. She acted cool and composed as she ordered herself a strawberry daiquiri from the waiter who approached them on the chairs. Cheryl was somewhat surprised, Toni fit in flawlessly like she had done it before.

“You know, for someone who always seems so cool and collected, it’s kind of surprising that you get anxiety like that before being hounded by paparazzi,” Toni remarked, as they looked out onto the water.

Cheryl shrugged as she sipped her fruity drink, “I’m just good at hiding it I guess.”

“Does the anxiety come from the potential of having a bad photo of yourself taken? Or what they’ll say about your outfit? Or-?”

“All of it,” Cheryl laughed. “Being seen wearing sweatpants and an oversized sweatshirt would be a crime when you’re a huge influencer. Ever since I was a girl there was this pressure from my mother to be perfect. It follows me everywhere.”

“Well, no one’s perfect,” Toni shrugged.

“Tell that to my mother, Hannah Montana,” Cheryl replied dryly. “I know that no one’s perfect, but I can do a pretty good job at pretending that I am.”

Toni had tanned very quickly; her skin practically glowing only a few hours later. Cheryl was slightly envious of her, she had never been tan a day in her life. Her pale skin burned easily, making her constantly apply more layers of sunscreen each other. It was nice to be able to spend time just relaxing, only having to worry about timing her sunscreen applications and what drink she wanted from the bar next.

“Do you want to go out to dinner tonight?” Cheryl asked spontaneously, turning to Toni. They hadn’t said much to each other since their small conversation about her anxiety.

“Like in public?” Toni asked. She looked over at Cheryl, her eyebrows up slightly in curiosity. “Don’t you need a bodyguard for that?”

“When I make a public appearance as Cheryl Blossom I do,” Cheryl said, eyes locking with Toni. “But what if I wasn’t Cheryl? What if I put on a wig and didn’t wear any designer clothes and we just…got some dinner? Like regular people do on vacation.”

“So, an alter ego?” Toni laughed. “Now I won’t be the only one who has one.”

“What do you say?” Cheryl asked. “I’m really in the mood for Mexican food.”

Cheryl’s disguise was a lot of fun to decide while she waited for Toni to get ready. She could be anyone, wear anything, have any backstory. She went through countless outfits in her walk-in closet, changing her mind several times when she found a pair of shoes she liked better or a top that fit the “normal” aesthetic she was going for.

By the time she was ready, she had changed her outfit several times. In the end, she had settled on a white crop top that ended just above her belly button and a blue high waisted skirt. She looked at herself over in the mirror, just enough to still look fashionable but not enough that she’d be noticed.

The outfit however was the least of her concern, despite the amount of time she had spent figuring out what she was going to wear. A trademark look of the Blossom family was their undeniable fiery red hair, making Cheryl easily stand out in a crowd of blondes and brunettes. Even if she went out in public dressed as simply as she was, it wouldn’t be long until people began to recognize her.

To fix the problem, Cheryl sat in front of her vanity and pulled all of her bright red hair into a wig cap. Cheryl had never worn many wigs in her lifetime, but she of course had a few at her disposal for times like this. Most of the time she’d wear wigs to parties, where the theme required her to change her appearance in some way. She never expected to be donning on a wig in order to blend in with the general public. It was quite thrilling.

Cheryl adjusted the dark brown wig as she looked at herself in the mirror, watching it flawlessly blend in to her hairline. The wig was one shade of chestnut brown, with pin straight strands that went only a few inches past her shoulders. She had to look herself over in the mirror a few times, shocked by how different she appeared after a simple outfit change and hair color.

Her makeup only further added to her disguise. She darkened her eyebrows with a brown shade and went with a more natural look. Gone were her signature ruby red lips, in favor of a nude colored lip gloss. The finishing touch? A pair of wide framed glasses.

When Toni stepped into the hallway after she was ready, Cheryl found herself anxiously waiting for her reaction to her complete makeover. Toni closed the door behind her before turning around, eyes widening immediately as she took in Cheryl’s appearance.

“Holy shit, I didn’t recognize you at all for a second,” Toni laughed. “You look like a completely different person. The glasses are a nice touch.”

“That’s what I was going for,” Cheryl beamed.

Cheryl took in Toni’s outfit, realizing she was definitely going to be in the shadow of the younger woman tonight. She was wearing a royal blue crop top with a pair of black skinny jeans, a completely different style than anything Cheryl had ever seen her wear before. Toni’s hair was held out of her face by a simple white headband, allowing her waves of pink hair to fall around her face beautifully. Her makeup was simple, as she had hardly any on.

“You look different,” Cheryl remarked, smiling slightly. “Is this an alter ego too? It’s not anything I gave you yesterday.”

“Oh this?” Toni asked, looking down at her outfit. “I’m just more comfortable in this kind of clothing. Do you not like it?”

“No, I love it,” Cheryl said quickly. There was something much more organic about what Toni was wearing and Cheryl picked up on a different level of confidence that she was exhibiting. “You’re give me the bad ass biker vibes.”

Toni smiled, “That’s me. You kind of look like one of those nerdy closeted lesbians from the 90’s with those glasses. All you need next is the braces and overly religious parents.”

* * *

 

Being amongst dozens of regular people, enjoying a regular dinner, and talking about regular things was something Cheryl genuinely needed. In order to cover their bases completely, a driver had picked them both up from Cheryl’s mansion and brought them to the beach-side restaurant. Hidden in the backseat behind tinted windows, Cheryl and Toni were able to slip past the paparazzi waiting to ambush them completely unnoticed.

She was initially nervous about being noticed, as things could go from calm to chaotic quickly when people realized they were in the presence of the most influential woman in fashion. However, her nerves settled after someone bumped into her and muttered “watch where you’re going” under their breath without giving her a second look.

The restaurant that Cheryl had picked out turned out to be full, with a long waitlist. Normally, this wouldn’t be an issue for Cheryl. All she’d have to do was tell the hostess who she was, and a table would be made for her and Toni. Tonight was different, tonight she had to be normal.  

And tonight, normal meant buying tacos from a street vendor and walking the beach in the moonlight. They had abandoned their shoes by one of the lifeguard stands, in favor of talking and eating. The sand crunched under Cheryl’s toes as they walked and occasionally a wave would come up and get their ankles wet, only adding to Cheryl’s euphoric sensation. It felt good to feel normal, to feel like no one was watching. She could live forever like this.

“I have to tell you something and you’re probably going to think it’s crazy,” Cheryl spoke up, long after they had finished their tacos. She stopped walking and turned to face the water, with waves reflecting the full moon in the sky.

“Hit me with it,” Toni replied, stopping to stand next to her. They both looked out onto the water, enjoying the sound of the waves and calm breeze.

“Sometimes I just…I want to get away,” Cheryl began. “I feel like everyone thinks I’m just really good at doing what I do. Even you said that it seems natural for me to be in the spotlight in the way that I am, but it’s so tiring sometimes. This is my first _real_ vacation in three years, one where I don’t have to worry about work or someone trying to talk to me about my work life. It’s just been nonstop work for me since I started this company when I was twenty-two. But now that I’m here with you and we did something normal people do, it feels nice. Like I wish…I wish I could just give it all up and be a normal everyday person. I’ve always wanted to know what it’s like to be like one of them.”

“Is that even possible? Even if you did give it all up?” Toni asked. “People will still know your face and your name.”

“I guess you’re right. Even if I did move to some remote town, people would probably wait outside my house for a picture of me…I told you it was crazy,” Cheryl sighed, turning to look at Toni.

 Toni was looking back at her, a softness in her brown eyes, “I don’t think that sounds crazy at all.”

Cheryl smiled weakly, eyes naturally drifting down from Toni’s eyes to the curvature of her soft lips. Toni understood her without her needing to explain herself much, which was something so rare for her. All of her actions needed to be justified with an in-depth explanation, or else she’d risk criticism. When she was with Toni, she knew the shorter girl never expected an explanation at all and somehow understood Cheryl’s desires without ever being able to relate to her lifestyle.

No one had ever connected with her like that, in a way that was far below the surface level. Even with Veronica she felt like she had to explain her feelings and actions, especially during their fights. Toni removed the expectations that Cheryl felt she had to fulfill, allowing her to feel more herself. She wasn’t afraid to talk about certain things that had happened to her in her life, she _trusted_ Toni with her secrets. This was something far deeper than she had expected to discover when she walked into Reggie’s gentlemen’s club a month ago.

Kevin’s words echoed in her head as she looked at Toni, studying the features on her face. There was no sexual energy between the two of them as they looked at each other, which was something new and exciting. Though she cherished the moments where they built off of each other’s sexual desire, this was new territory that she felt excited to explore. Toni really was gorgeous; she knew that since the first moment she had laid eyes on her. She didn’t expect to find such a gorgeous personality underneath her exterior, though Cheryl had been having a hard time forming connections with anyone other than her small handful of close friends.

_Take a chance._

A strong sensation of butterflies swept away Cheryl’s stomach, catapulting every hesitation and moral responsibility into the waves of the ocean. She had asked Toni to come on this vacation for a reason, she wasn’t going to let the opportunity slip away.

Using the burst of confidence she felt in her chest, Cheryl began to lean forward towards Toni, only to immediately be cut off by a large wave that crashed into them.

 The wave wasn’t that big, but it did crash into both of their legs and effectively soaked them up to their waists. Cheryl gasped in surprise as Toni squealed in shock, reaching out to grab onto Cheryl’s hand and shoulder for support as she was almost swept away by the wave. Cheryl grabbed onto her as she steadied them, her body tensing up as the cold water seeped into her skirt.

“Holy shit,” Toni gasped, before bursting out into laughter. She continued to hold onto Cheryl’s hand, gripping it tightly with her fingers as she reached down to wipe the water off her jeans. “My jeans are literally soaked.”

 “I did not expect that at all,” Cheryl laughed. “Guess that’s as good as sign as any that we should be going home.”

“Oh yeah. I’m about to chafe big time if I don’t get out of these jeans,” Toni giggled.

Cheryl gulped dryly as she looked down at their hands, Toni’s fingers had found their way between Cheryl’s. She looked back up at Toni, who seemed to think nothing of the casual interaction. Was she not shocked they were holding hands? Thinking back, she had never really held hands too often. All of she and Veronica’s interactions were behind closed doors, where handholding didn’t make sense. The casual and public intimacy was something she was definitely not used to, even though it was as simple as holding Toni’s hand.

Cheryl beamed, she liked holding hands with Toni.

“Come on, babe. We’ll get you in some dry clothes soon,” Cheryl replied, gripping Toni’s hand tighter as she pulled her back up the beach.

* * *

 

Toni’s hand didn’t leave Cheryl’s during the entire walk from the beach and back onto the streets of Miami. Toni climbed into the backseat of the car clutching Cheryl’s hand, pulling her into the car with ease. Their fingers remained laced together as their driver brought them back to Cheryl’s mansion, though their grip was much looser. Toni’s thumb ran along Cheryl’s hand absentmindedly as she casually looked out the window, not paying attention to how huge of a moment this was for them. Maybe it was only huge for Cheryl.

There was a different dynamic between the two of them, something deeper than any previous energy they had shared. An unspoken realization had seemed to have occurred between them, one that their driver hadn’t picked up on. When he pulled into Cheryl’s driveway, the odd attraction seemed to have heightened. Cheryl barely registered what was happening as she got out of the car and reached for Toni’s hand, guiding her into the mansion and up the stairs.

Cheryl pushed the door of her bedroom open, looking back briefly at Toni before pulling her gently inside. Things peaked the moment the door closed behind them, as both women decided to act on the new connection forming between them. Cheryl reached up and tugged on her wig, pulling it from her head and tossing it on the vanity with her wig cap. Her red tresses cascaded down her back, slightly disheveled and imperfect from being held up. She turned back to look at Toni, who was staring at her with such a desire and longing that Cheryl had never seen before. Toni reached out and took the glasses from Cheryl’s face, placing them on the vanity next to the wig.

No words needed to be spoken, they both knew what was about to happen. The familiar energy between them had come back, mixed with this new uncharted territory of feelings. Both were eager to explore it.

Toni unzipped her jeans, shimmying out of the wet fabric that clung to her legs. She kicked them to the side, along with her shoes. Cheryl had begun taking off her own clothes, sliding out of her skirt until it pooled at her feet. Their tops came off next, leaving both in just a bra and panties. It was nothing they hadn’t done before, but both looked at each other with awe. Cheryl didn’t know much about Toni, but the two people that had come together to create the gorgeous human that was Toni were two people that she wanted to personally thank.

Moments later, both fell on top of Cheryl’s bed completely naked. Toni was underneath her, gently holding onto Cheryl’s hips as their faces hovered over each other. Cheryl wanted nothing more than to kiss the woman beneath her, she had never had such a strong desire to do so until that moment. With anyone.

But she held back, not wanting to ruin their moment. She didn’t have the same confidence that she did at the beach, reality had come back by then. No, now was not the time to kiss her. That would open up complications and the “what are we” question that Cheryl wanted to avoid.

There were many beautiful moments that happened on Earth from the time Cheryl had been alive. Many beautiful sunsets and sunrises. The beautiful sight of fresh snow on Christmas morning or the beautiful sound of birds chirping in the rainforest. They were all things Cheryl had experienced in her twenty-five years of being alive, but nothing compared to the beauty of making love to Toni.

They had done it before, seen each other naked and laid together in order to sexually gratify the other. Never had the setting been in a bed, especially Cheryl’s. Never had they taken the time to really build up to the sexual gratification. Toni’s hands were purposeful, sensual and slow, yet she had never felt this much sexual pleasure before. Out of all the encounters she had with Toni and with Veronica, this easily was the best one. Their bodies molded together like they were made for each other, legs intertwining under the sheets as their fingers explored every divot and crevice of the other’s body. No this wasn’t just sex; it was love making. Neither woman knew that’s what it was, pushing the possibility to the back of their minds as they focused on giving the other pleasure.  

Both women continued to look at the other, not kissing necks or lips or cheeks or ears. There was something far more intimate in just _looking_ at Toni, keeping the eye contact and trying her best not to allow her eyes to roll into the back of her head. Toni’s fingers worked wonders inside her, pumping with purpose as she let out a breathy moan. Cheryl did her best to keep up as she returned the favor, fingers quickly becoming soaked with Toni’s arousal.

They moaned in unison, they moaned sporadically. Toni went silent as she reached her orgasm, where Cheryl only got louder as the inevitable wave of pleasure began to wash over her. They were two very different women, from two very different backgrounds. They approached their orgasms differently. They looked at the world through different pairs of eyes. But tonight, tonight they felt like one. One body, one person. Their souls had intertwined and locked together, forming a seal that would never be broken.

It overwhelmed Cheryl, unsure of the feeling in her chest or why she was feeling it for someone she barely knew. A dancer at a club her college friend owned. Whatever the feeling was, she didn’t want it to go away. It was like the night before in the tub, she didn’t want to leave that mansion for the rest of her life. What did it mean when you got butterflies holding hands with a woman who you have had sex with multiple times already?

Cheryl expected the aftermath of their escapade to be awkward, as their senses took over and they realized what they had just done. This _had_ to be crossing a line, there was no way that people did this regularly when they hired a stripper to come on vacation with them. Cheryl knew what they had done was wrong in a way, but she didn’t care. Toni didn’t seem to either as she they rolled off of each other and settled underneath the sheets next to each other.

Missing the physical contact, Cheryl absentmindedly reached out for Toni, who scooted backwards so that their bodies were flush against each other. Neither wanted to face the reality just yet.

They continued to lay in each other’s arms for a few minutes, basking in the afterglow of their orgasms and the mixing of their heavy pants. Toni’s arms were wrapped around Cheryl’s middle, tracing her thumbs into Cheryl’s pale skin.

“I think this is the safest I’ve ever felt in my entire life,” Toni admitted softly, nuzzling her face into Cheryl’s shoulder.

“Me too,” Cheryl responded, running a hand through Toni’s pink hair. She could see her natural hair growing in at the roots, curly and almost black. It made her wonder what Toni looked like with natural hair, she had never seen her with anything but pink and straightened hair.

“When I was little, I used to live with my uncle in elementary and middle school. He always came home after midnight drunk and angry. I never felt safe in my own bed,” Toni said. The words caused a pang of hurt in Cheryl’s chest as she continued to stroke her hair. Whatever Toni had gone through, she didn’t deserve any of it.

“Is that why you dropped out and moved to the city?” Cheryl asked.

Toni shook her head, “No. By then I was living with my grandpa.”

“Your grandfather seems like a good man from what you’ve told me,” Cheryl said.

“Yeah, he is. He did his best at least,” Toni sighed. “But by the time I ended up with him, he was pretty worn out after raising my dad and his brothers. Things aren’t going very well for him now though. He has a ton of lung problems and has to sleep with a breathing machine because he had been a smoker since he was thirteen.”

“I’m so sorry,” Cheryl sighed. She expected Toni to tell her something like this. “I can only imagine.”

“It’s ok.” Toni said, as she reached for her phone. “Remember while you were in Paris and I had to hang up really fast?”

“I do.”

“He was in the hospital at the time and I was waiting to hear that he was going to be ok,” Toni admitted.

“Is he going to be ok?” Cheryl asked.

Toni shrugged, “Who knows. I don’t really like to talk about it.”

They sat in silence for a few moments as Cheryl thought over what Toni had just shared with her. It seemed to be pretty personal information.  

“Wow, your phone screen is shattered,” Cheryl remarked, as she looked at the severely outdated phone in Toni’s hand in attempts to change the conversation. It still had the standard headphone jack.

“Oh, yeah. My mindset is if it still works, there’s no reason to buy a new one,” Toni replied casually. She opened the camera app and lifted the phone above them. “A photo for the memories.”

Though she was hesitant at first, Cheryl leaned in for the photo, giggling as she placed both hands over Toni’s exposed chest in order to censor her. They both beamed at the camera as Toni snapped the selfie, laughing at how ridiculous they looked post orgasm. Toni saved the photo to her phone before sending it to Cheryl.

“Now we will always remember this moment,” Toni said, looking at the photo.

Cheryl propped her head up on her arm, looking at Toni as she looked at her phone.

“You know, if we’re getting personal, I’m kind of jealous about how comfortable you are with your sexuality. Like you just own it and aren’t afraid of what anyone things,” Cheryl said, longingly looking at the tanner woman.

Toni laughed, “It wasn’t always easy. I figured out I was bi when I was around fourteen and got kicked out on the street the moment my uncle found out. I ended up sleeping on couches before my grandpa let me in.”

“That’s terrible,” Cheryl gasped. Sure, her parents disapproved, but they had never kicked her out. She couldn’t imagine surviving on her own as a teen.

“It’s a reason why I take pride in that part of myself. Because someone had tried to silence me,” Toni admitted.

“My coming out story was bad, but not as bad as yours. I figured it out when I was sixteen, and my mother caught me kissing a girl in my bedroom shortly after,” Cheryl admitted. “It’s like something flipped in her, I became a disappointment almost. I always lived in the shadow of Jason, no matter how many messed up things he did. I’m worth over a billion dollars and Jason is an absent father, yet my mother practically kisses the ground he walks on.”

“I get it. You just want your mom to accept you, that’s why you care so much about what she thinks,” Toni answered.

The words caught in Cheryl’s throat, “Yeah exactly.”

“Well, I hate to break it to you, but life is so much more than what our mothers think about us,” Toni replied, stroking Cheryl’s arm. “Hell, if it was, my life would be over.”

“I’m sure your mom is proud of you,” Cheryl said, doing her best to soothe Toni.

Toni laughed, “She’s not. Trust me.”

Both women fell silent, seeking comfort in their silence. Toni’s hand continued to stroke Cheryl’s skin, sending goosebumps up her spine.

“Can I sleep in here tonight?” Toni asked, her voice hesitant and unconfident.

Cheryl smiled, “Of course you can, TT.”

It was all the confirmation Toni need, and seconds later she was wrapping her arms around Cheryl and burying her face into her neck. Their legs intertwined as they got comfortable, breathing in each other and the enjoying the intimacy. Cheryl settled down, not wanting to get out of bed in order to take her makeup off. She’d go one day without doing her nighttime routine if it meant Toni was about to fall asleep in her arms.

“Hey Cheryl?” Toni asked, long after Cheryl thought she had fallen asleep.

“Yeah TT?” Cheryl answered.

“Do you want to know my real name?” Toni asked.

Cheryl’s eyes widened, “Your name isn’t actually Toni either?”

Toni giggled, “No it is. It’s just a nickname though. Do you want to know my full name?”

“I do.”

“It’s Antoinette Topaz.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TONI'S POV NEXT CHAPTER!!!
> 
> sorry these updates are infrequent, but i'm trying! to make up for it, here's a super long chapter.
> 
> also for those who don't understand why i keep mentioning veronica and why i included peaches and then didn't talk about her again, you'll see why in part 2 and 3. i just needed to set up their characters in part 1. consider part 1 an intro almost, before shit starts to get real in parts 2 and 3.
> 
> p.s. just wanted to give a subtle nod to my favorite choni fic ever written in that "first look" scene lol


	9. Part 1: Neuf

_9._

Toni awoke in a blissful state, as a total rush of euphoria washed over her from the moment she began to regain consciousness. She was lying on the softest mattress she had ever slept on, with silky sheets tucked underneath her arms. A warm breeze hit her back, causing goosebumps to rise along in spine. She squeezed her eyes tighter and arched her back in reaction to the wind, trying desperately to fall back asleep before her conscious thoughts invaded her brain.

The thoughts began to swim in her head, realizing that it was very unusual for her to be sleeping in a bed as nicely as this one was. Memories from the previous night began to come back to her, reminding her of the touches and moans that she had shared with fashion mogul Cheryl Blossom. A surge of fluttering rushed to her stomach as she thought about how Cheryl had looked at her, how she had held her afterward with such gentleness that Toni never wanted to move from that spot.

 _Cheryl Blossom_ was interested in her and had held an interest even after she had begun to see Toni for who she was. The woman who had millions of people fawning over her and trying to get her attention was interested in _her_. And she had such a beautiful soul. One that hadn’t been completely damaged by the fame and fortune. Despite the endless amount of money and fanbase who boosted her ego daily, Cheryl seemed as humble as a celebrity could be. Hell, she even was hesitant to tell Toni how much her houses were. She was truly a genuine woman, who knew how to be normal every once in a while.

It was exhilarating to be around Cheryl, to have her undivided attention and spend time with her. Never in her wildest dreams did Toni think she would end up meeting a celebrity, especially one as big as Cheryl was. Though the media put Cheryl on such a high pedestal, it was nice to see that she was really a human like everyone else.

Toni leaned back in the bed, reaching behind her in search of red-haired woman. Instead of a warm body, Toni only found cold bed. Eyes opening, Toni turned over to see the other side of the large bed empty. The sheets had been pushed back on the one side and there was an indentation in the bed, proving that someone else had been sleeping there. Toni propped herself up on her arms and looked around the spacious bedroom. The glass doors to the balcony were wide open, allowing the warm breeze to travel around the room. Cheryl had been there, but it seemed to have been a while since she had left.

Yawning loudly, Toni pushed the covers back and placed her feet on the carpet. She stretched her arms to the side and reached forward, grabbing her underwear that had been pulled off of her the night before. She stood up and began to gather the rest of her clothes, before exiting the master bedroom. Completely naked, she walked the distance from Cheryl’s door to the guest bedroom she had taken over.

Once inside her own bedroom, Toni threw the clothes from the night before on the ground and retreated into the connecting bathroom. Her body needed a shower desperately, especially after getting drenched by a wave and sweating from their sex the night before. The shower was one of Toni’s favorite parts of the house. This one had a rain head nozzle, making her feel like she was standing in a heavy rainstorm as she washed her body.

She found Cheryl sitting in the living room, flipping thru a magazine with one hand as an older woman removed the red acrylics on her other hand. The look on Cheryl’s face wasn’t a good one, making Toni wonder what had happened before she woke up. The woman who was doing her nails had an entire kit of acrylics on the coffee table in front of them, with various colors of nail polish and tools nearby. Cheryl looked up at Toni when she entered, giving her a nod in greeting before pointing to her phone.

_“What am I supposed to make of this, Cheryl? First the strip club and now you’re bringing one of the strippers on a trip to Miami?”_

The woman on the phone did not sound happy. Toni immediately thought that it must be Cheryl’s mother, who else would give Cheryl hell like that? Sensing the tension in the air, Toni began to walk towards the kitchen to give Cheryl some privacy. Cheryl held out a hand to stop her, before handing over the magazine that she was holding. Toni took the magazine from her hands and looked at the front cover, letting her see just what Cheryl’s mom seemed to be upset about.

**CHERYL BLOSSOM IN MIAMI WITH BROOKLYN STRIPPER**

“Relax mother, it’s all speculation,” Cheryl sighed. “There isn’t really much else I can say about it. Josie and I have been seen together countless of times and have been photographed like this. It’ll be a rumor for a few days and then the media will realize we are just friends.” 

Right above the title was a large picture of she and Cheryl in the car, with Toni covering her face with Cheryl’s hat. She opened the magazine and flipped to the article written about them, where she was greeted by a magazine spread photo of the two of them in the car. Toni began to skim read the article, shocked to see the tabloid magazine knew _exactly_ who she was. Her first and last name were cited in the article under a section called, “Five Fast Facts You Need to Know About Chery's Brooklyn Stripper.” The five facts included Toni’s full legal name, where she grew up, the gentlemen’s club she worked at, speculation on how she and Cheryl met, and her social media accounts. How did the magazine even find this information?

 _“This is a big deal Cheryl! The nature of your relationship with that girl will further stir up those rumors!”_ Penelope retorted, unaware that Toni was listening in.

“And what do you want me to do about that? This wouldn’t be an issue if Jason didn’t bail on our vacation. Don’t lie to me and tell me that it was because he’s sick. I saw he went out with his friends to Nobu last night,” Cheryl huffed. “Now if you’re done trying to talk some sense into me, I’d like to get back to my vacation.”

Cheryl hung up the phone a moment later, before throwing it onto the couch cushion next to her. She looked over at Toni, “I really do apologize for the breach in privacy you’re experiencing right now. I didn’t think they’d figure out who you were or that much about you.”

Toni looked up from the magazine, “How did they figure out where I work?”

Cheryl shrugged, “I mean Archie and I were photographed leaving the club a month back. It's not that hard to put the pieces together. And journalists go to great lengths to find out things about people.”

“Yeah but they knew my full name. That’s not something I publicize often,” Toni remarked, closing the magazine.

“Then maybe someone told them what they wanted to know,” Cheryl suggested. “There’s always some insider willing to sell secrets. How are you feeling?”

“I’m just kind of in shock right now,” Toni admitted. “Is there any coffee?”

“In the kitchen,” Cheryl nodded.

Without saying another word, Toni walked past the couch and towards the archway that led to the kitchen. Her head was swimming with questions, wondering what she was going to do and how they could’ve found out all of that information. As she retreated into the kitchen, she heard Cheryl say something to the beautician taking care of her nails.

“Can you make them shorter this time? And rounded. I don’t want any sharp edges.”

When she arrived in the kitchen, Toni immediately pulled out her phone and opened her message thread to Sweet Pea. He knew barely anything about the impromptu vacation that Toni was taking with Cheryl, but was covering for her in her absence.

**Pea! Fucking shit did you look at the front page of Star magazine??**

She hoped he was around his phone so that he’d see her message immediately. He was supposed to be working at the shop today, putting in extra hours because his coworker tore his ACL. She set her phone down as she began to fix herself a mug of coffee, trying not to think about the fact whoever read that magazine was going to know who she was.

A gray message bubble appeared on their message thread as Toni sipped her steaming mug of coffee. Sweet Pea’s response came a few moments later, as he was a painfully slow texter.

**Do I look like I spend time looking at gossip magazines? Why?**

Rolling her eyes slightly, Toni took a quick snap of the front cover before sending it to Sweet Pea. 

**Holy fuck Tiny. How did they figure that shit out?**

**I have no idea. Cheryl says that their journalists are big snoopers so I’m sure they did some heavy stalking**

Sweet Pea’s responses were coming much faster, something unusual for such a terrible texter.

**That’s some next level bs. Are you ok? Did Cheryl know your name before the magazine leaked it or was that an awkward conversation?**

**She knew it already. God I can only imagine having to explain to her my real name**

Toni picked up her mug of coffee while still holding her phone, before grabbing the magazine and walking back into the living room. Cheryl had transitioned from her phone call with her mother to looking at the sleek laptop on her lap. She was typing with her free hand, hitting the keys at a slow pace. The beautician next to her was shaping her acrylics, the red acrylic powder nearby and ready. Cheryl was already dressed for the day, wearing a red tank top and black shorts. Toni liked it when she dressed down, though she thought Cheryl looked absolutely stunning whenever she wore something sheer and designer. The way she was dressed that moment and the night before seemed a lot more organic, allowing more attention to be drawn to her face and not her body. Though, the tank top was doing a fairly good job at keeping Toni’s attention on her chest. Cheryl’s hair was slightly damp and cascading down her back, nothing voluminous or sheer about it today. Toni walked around the back of the couch so that Cheryl would see her, before sitting down on the other seat next to her.

Cheryl looked up from her laptop screen and smiled, flashing her perfect white teeth. It caused Toni’s stomach to flutter slightly at the sight, taking in how Cheryl’s brown eyes glowed warmly and lips curled just enough so that Toni could see the pink of her gums.

“Still doing okay?” Cheryl wondered, eyes flickering up and down Toni’s body. “I’m sure it’s a bit of a surprise to have that information leaked about you.”

“It’s a bit unnerving, yeah,” Toni agreed. “I can only imagine how you deal with that all the time.”

Cheryl shrugged slightly, “You get used to it.”

Toni sipped her coffee again, transfixed by the beautician as she began to apply the red mixture to Cheryl’s nails and smooth it down with a brush. They were quite a bit shorter than they had been, only going a few centimeters passed the tips of her fingers. It was a stark change from the stiletto shaped nails she used to have

“How often do you get your nails done?” Toni asked.

“Once a week,” Cheryl replied, closing her laptop. “I like everything to look perfect.”

“I’m sure you do. Pretty nice luxury if you ask me,” Toni remarked, looking out the living room windows. The sun was shining brightly, the sky a bright blue and cloudless.

“Do you want her to do your nails too?” Cheryl asked.

Toni looked back at Cheryl, “Oh no, I’m good thanks. I’ve never really been into that kind of self-pampering. I usually just stick with a coat of black nail polish and call it a day.”

Cheryl nodded, “Understandable. Once you start getting acrylics it’s really hard to stop, so I commend you for that.”

Toni smiled, “It’s appreciated.”

“Oh, and speaking of luxuries and pampering, I got you something,” Cheryl said casually, reaching for a sleek white box on the table. She held it out to Toni, who immediately recognized the brand by the picture on the box.

It was a new phone. From the model type written in reflective letters on the side, it was the newest model and the same one as Cheryl’s. Toni took the box from Cheryl’s hand, eyes widening in shock as she held it. Cheryl had just casually given her a new cellphone.

“I-I don’t know what to say,” Toni laughed nervously. She was never used to receiving gifts for no reason, especially not expensive ones like this. It was shocking enough when she received an entirely new wardrobe and a large selection of clothes from Érable. She really didn’t know what to say, especially when Cheryl so casually handed over the phone as if she was giving Toni a few dollars.

“Don’t say anything,” Cheryl replied, waving her off. “No offense, but your current phone is busted beyond repair. Not to mention it’s like over four years old.”

Toni held onto the box in her hand, trying her best not to look totally awkward and out of place. God, if someone had told Toni a few months ago that she’d soon be in Cheryl’s mansion accepting expensive gifts from her while having mind blowing sex, she’d laugh in their face. She looked down at the phone in her hands. All of her life, she had grown up barely able to live off of whatever her uncle or grandfather had scraped together that week. Accepting luxury gifts was something outside of her expertise. A nagging thought entered her head, making her wonder if Cheryl was soon going to expect something from her in return. Despite reassuring her that it wouldn’t be the case, Toni couldn’t help but wonder if maybe there was an underlying reason.

“Well, thank you,” Toni answered, smiling brightly. Another thought entered her mind, _why shouldn’t she allow herself to get spoiled?_ She had spent the entirety of her twenty-three years of life struggling, it didn’t hurt to allow herself to appreciate the luxuries she was receiving now. _Serpents earn their belongings, down to the leather jacket that we wear on our backs._ The words of her former gang's leader echoed in her head, something he had told her since she had been adopted into the gang as a young girl. Toni hadn’t earned this phone or the clothes Cheryl had given her. She was going against the doctrine the Serpents had followed for generations. It was a good thing wasn't a Serpent anymore.

* * *

 

Toni found her face buried into the side of Cheryl’s neck a few hours later, moaning against her earlobe as Cheryl’s fingers pumped inside of her. The fact her nails were so much shorter had worked in Toni’s favor, as two of Cheryl’s fingers continued with their rhythm. Her fingers were curled upward slightly, the pads roughly stroking a particularly sensitive spot. Toni’s only focus was on the pleasure she was feeling, how good Cheryl’s hair smelt, and how she didn’t want to let go of the older woman.

Toni’s legs were wrapped around Cheryl’s waist as they sat on top of her bed. The tension between them had only intensified after the previous night they had spent together, but now things involved a lot more emotions. The flurry of emotions that consumed Toni whenever she was around Cheryl had grown, manifesting into something dangerous. It was dangerous to be having romantic feelings for a woman so famous, so influential, especially when you were just a dancer she met at a gentlemen’s club. Cheryl came from high class and expensive champagne, there was no way she would ever consider being serious with Toni. She wasn’t famous or rich like everyone else that Cheryl kept in her circle.

The pleasure soon built up to a point that Toni’s nails dug into the skin of Cheryl’s shoulders. She knew the marks would show up very visibly on Cheryl’s skin, but she couldn’t find it in herself to care. Right now, all that mattered was Cheryl beneath her with her fingers inside of her.

Toni’s orgasm crashed over her in a large wave. She shook violently in Cheryl’s lap, legs squeezing together tightly. Cheryl’s lips were against the skin of her collarbone, hot breaths causing goosebumps to rise up along her spine. Cheryl was already spent from the two orgasms she had before Toni yet had the stamina to maintain the fast rhythm of her fingers.

Toni pulled away from Cheryl’s neck to look the older woman in the eyes once she calmed down. Cheryl looked back up at her, red hair framing her face and droplets of sweat beading at her temples. She was so gorgeous, an ethereal being that had her looks hand selected by the divine. It made Toni wonder how someone so beautiful on the inside and out came to be with parents as ugly as hers. From how much her mother seemed to scrutinize her, Toni was surprised that Cheryl wasn’t as hateful as she was.

Cheryl smiled, flashing her white teeth again, “I can’t believe you made fun of me for only having been with one other woman.”

Toni, who was still coming down from her orgasm, was slightly shocked to hear Cheryl bring that up. Ever since their first real encounter, Cheryl had proven that body count certainly didn’t match up to skill level. Cheryl was gifted with her mouth and even better at the initial buildup of foreplay. It left Toni aching for her touch and longing for it to happen again.

“Well I seem to have been proven wrong,” Toni laughed, climbing off of Cheryl’s lap to lay down next to her. She reached for her shorts, which had been discarded in a heap on the floor.

“Are you hungry?” Cheryl asked, turning to look at Toni next to her.

“I could eat yeah,” Toni nodded. “What are you going to make me this time?”

Cheryl laughed, “You’re funny if you think I’m about to cook after those orgasms. I was just going to grab us some pretzels and humus.”

“Is that your snack of choice?” Toni asked, as Cheryl bent down to find her tank top. She stared shamelessly at Cheryl’s bare chest as she reached for her bra, admiring her milky skin and pale pink nipples.

“Maybe. It’s definitely up there,” Cheryl admitted, as she reached behind her back to clip her bra. “I don’t think I could ever get full by eating humus. Especially the homemade stuff.”

“Too good for store bought?” Toni teased, as Cheryl pulled on her red tank top.

“When it comes to humus? Yes,” Cheryl laughed. “Stay right here, I’ll be back.”

Cheryl exited the bedroom before Toni could answer, leaving the pink-haired woman alone once more in her master bedroom. Toni reached across the bed to grab her phone that was on the bedside table. She was still getting used to her new phone, as it was much bigger and nicer than the one she had been using. She opened her message thread, clicking on an unread message.

**where have u been? came around 2 see u last night and SP said ur away**

Toni bit her lip as she read the message over again, unsure of how to respond. Like Sweet Pea, Peaches wasn’t someone who frequently looked at gossip magazines and news sites. Though she didn’t know that Toni was currently in Miami, that didn’t mean she wouldn’t find out that she was not only in Miami, but in Miami with billionaire Cheryl Blossom.

**I’m in Riverdale taking care of my grandpa. He’s having a hard time adjusting to the breathing machine**

Toni pressed the send button and immediately locked her phone. She didn’t want to think about Peaches and their unresolved business back home. Peaches was old news, a former flame that was on its way to being fully extinguished. Right now she was enjoying her vacation with Cheryl, she shouldn’t be thinking about Peaches.

Cheryl’s phone on the bedside table vibrated loudly, as a message notification appeared on the screen. Toni could make out the text from where she sat, unintentionally reading it.

**You really know how to make a girl beg huh? Well practically, I’m not begging for your attention…yet**

Toni read the name of the sender, Veronica Lodge. Toni’s heart skipped a beat as she reread the message a few times, unsure of how to react. Cheryl had told her countless times that she and Veronica were no longer on speaking terms, yet she was receiving texts from her. A sickening hot feeling rose in her chest, like a hidden monster clawing its way to the surface. The feeling quickly turned into a sinking one, as she realized that Cheryl was most likely in the process of getting back together with the Oscar-nominated actress. Soon they would be back in a relationship and Cheryl would toss Toni to the side, no longer needing use of her companionship or sexual gratification.

She should’ve seen this coming. She had even thought about it before. Cheryl was on an entirely different realm than Toni, their lives nothing alike other than their terrible parents. Of course Cheryl would pursue relationships with other famous people, those who grew up wearing diamond wrist watches and worrying about their next vacation. Cheryl would never fall for a woman like her, a dancer from a gentlemen’s club who could barely pay all her bills and had never even seen a bidet until a few weeks ago. Anger rose in Toni’s chest, how could she have been so stupid to even believe for a second Cheryl would want to be with her.

**well when r u coming back? i want 2 see u**

Toni stared down at the message, fingers hovering over the keyboard.

Seconds later, Cheryl entered the bedroom holding a bag of pretzels and a bowl of humus. Toni looked up at her as she walked in, beaming widely.

“Okay so this humus is from a recipe that was given to me years ago, but I haven’t found anything better,” Cheryl said casually, collapsing on the bed next to Toni. She scooped a pretzel into the humus before popping it into her mouth. She held out a photograph in front of Toni’s face as she chewed, “I made us two copies of that photo you took last night. You know, for the memories.”

Toni looked at the photo, noticing how euphoric and carefree both women looked. The moment frozen in time, a time when Toni thought that something could happen between them. She smiled slightly and took the photo from Cheryl’s hand.

“It’s the closest thing you’ll probably ever get to a nude from me,” Cheryl giggled, before eating another pretzel dipped in humus.

Toni smiled, “Wow, thanks Cheryl.”

Cheryl frowned, “Is something wrong?”

_Yes, something’s wrong. I’ve spent the entirety of this vacation thinking that you were trying to get closer to me on a deeper level than just a transactional one. But all it took was one text message from your ex-girlfriend to realize that’s clearly not the case._

The words caught in Toni’s throat, not wanting to tell Cheryl about the message she had seen on her phone. Sure she didn’t mean to have read the message, but she wasn’t sure if Cheryl would believe that when she told her.

“I just got a call from someone back home and my grandpa’s in the hospital again,” Toni lied, doing her best to remain solemn faced. “He had a coughing fit so bad that one of his neighbors had to drive him.”

Cheryl’s eyes opened widely as her mouth fell open, “Oh my god. Is he going to be ok? I’m so sorry TT, that’s terrible.”

Cheryl genuinely seemed concerned by the news, despite it being false. Hell, she didn’t even know Toni’s grandpa but still seemed to care about his health. Toni wasn’t sure what reaction she expected from the billionaire, but the genuine concern in her eyes was beginning to make Toni regret lying to her.

“I think I need to go back to New York so I can be with him,” Toni said, voice barely above a whisper. She said it so softly because she was afraid Cheryl would not like that suggestion. She had been generous enough to fly her all the way out to Miami, and now Toni was trying to dip out already on the second day.

“Of course you need to. You need to be with your grandfather,” Cheryl agreed, nodding her head. She stood up from the bed and placed the pretzels and humus on the bedside table. She picked up her phone and immediately began typing away. “Let me call my assistant and see if we can get you on the next flight back to JFK.”

Toni didn’t respond as she watched Cheryl type away quickly on her phone. She began to feel more guilty for lying the longer she watched Cheryl’s enthusiasm in trying to get her a flight home. People barely asked Toni how her grandpa was doing, even those who knew him personally. It was strange for her to receive this much concern for him, especially from Cheryl who didn’t even know him.

The same butterflies in her stomach began to rise again whenever she thought about Cheryl as more than just someone she was sleeping with. A glimmer of hope entered her mind, that maybe Cheryl did see her in the same way Toni did. She immediately squashed that idea upon remembering Veronica’s text to her. It seemed Toni wasn’t the only woman that Cheryl was keeping worked up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOF. yeah...the angst begins here. The next 3 chapters are basically entirely angst, so if you're into that you're in for a good time. Also, we are nearing the end of part 1 of this fic! There are 12 chapters in part 1 and part 2 is also around 12 chapters. I haven't figured out how many part 3 are, but they will all be posted in this fic. 
> 
> That finale though...Riverdale honestly sucks. This is like PLL all over again and the fanfic writers are left to salvage the characters and made a better storyline. Believe me, if i wrote the show it would be so much different.
> 
> I'm officially on summer break and done with my 2nd year at university so hopefully updates will be more frequent! Don't quote me on that though because I have a job and an internship this summer, but I'm speaking it into existence that i will update more frequently!
> 
> Don't worry though, now that the hiatus has begun I know you guys need your choni content now more than ever. I'll do my best to provide.
> 
> Much love xx


	10. Part 1: Dix

_10._

“So, you just hit it off after she gave you a lap dance?” Josie had asked, glancing at Cheryl from her lounge chair. They were seated on the balcony of Cheryl’s Miami mansion, eating sugared grapefruit and scones. After a brief phone call to Josie explaining her current situation, the pop-singer had flown in on to Miami that next morning. Cheryl hadn’t gone into too much detail about Toni Topaz to Josie on the phone, somewhat fearful that Josie would judge her for _who_ Toni was. Josie had seen the headlines of the magazines but didn’t know the full story.

She was currently explaining her situation to Josie, how things had gotten more intimate between them in the last few days which resulted in Toni’s abrupt return to New York. Josie listened intently, not saying much as Cheryl explained everything from their first encounter leading up to Toni’s sudden exit. Cheryl should’ve expected Josie to be nonjudgmental about the situation, but the feeling in her stomach made her wonder if Josie would laugh at her for being so reckless. That’s what she had been, reckless. Not caring about the consequences or thinking of the reality, only wanting to strengthen her connection with a private dancer.

“Pretty much,” Cheryl replied, sipping her tea. “Don’t ask me to explain it, I don’t think I would even have the words to.”

“Do you have feelings for her?” Josie asked. It was a loaded question, one that Cheryl hadn’t expected. Did she have feelings for Toni? She loved being around her, loved listening to her talk, loved watching her do absolutely nothing. They were things that she felt the same about with a lot of people. Josie, Archie, Jason, Kevin… but there was one thing that set these feelings for Toni apart. Cheryl never wanted to be away from Toni, longed for her in fact. Not in a way that she couldn’t live without her, but things felt off when Toni wasn’t around. When Toni was around, she felt more at ease and content. Her work life troubles long forgotten as she gazed at the pink-haired woman.

“I do,” Cheryl said confidently, however not confident enough to look Josie in the eyes when she said this. It was something she had thought about from the moment she brought Toni to the airport the previous day. “It’s all so new, but Josie I haven’t gotten that feeling inside of me since when I first started seeing Veronica. That…that hint of excitement…I don’t think she feels the same.”

“What makes you so sure?” Josie asked. “The night she slept in your bed says otherwise.”

Cheryl sighed, “Because this has been a business transaction up until this moment. She didn’t even show her true personality to me until recently Josie. How is she supposed to have feelings for me if she can’t even be herself around me?”

“I think you’re putting a lot of pressure on her for no reason,” Josie countered. “You said it was a business transaction, so she was probably keeping up her stripper alter ego because she assumed that’s what you wanted. She could definitely still have developed feelings for you because you were being your true and organic self.”

Cheryl leaned back in her chair and thought it over, biting on her bottom lip as she looked out at the water. She had been so pessimistic about love and romance since being put down by her mother, even more so since her nasty split from Veronica Lodge. Had she been too busy trying to push down any possibility of something more between them that she had failed to notice Toni’s own growing feelings?

“At the end of the day you need to make a choice and that’s between staying within the limits your mom sets for you or going out there and doing something that makes you happy. We’re going to be twenty-six this year, it won’t be long before we’re getting wrinkles and grey hair and wondering where the time went,” Josie said. “Do you want to look back on this with regret or do you want to look back knowing you gave it a chance?”

* * *

 

The words of encouragement from Josie echoed repeatedly in Cheryl’s head as she looked down at her phone. The city of New York was cold and windy when she had arrived back from Miami, making her want to turn right around and go back. She had come back from the week-long trip feeling relaxed, confident, and ready to make some big decisions. Not only had Cheryl come back to start working again, but she had come to have a serious conversation with Toni. She was ready to put it all out there, to admit that things had progressed farther than a business transaction for her.

**Are you free? Wanted to meet up**

Cheryl had thought about the message to send to Toni the entire car ride home from the airport, deciding if she should elude to the topic of the conversation or be extremely vague. She wasn’t sure what Toni would say, as she hadn’t spoken to Cheryl since she left Miami.

**I can’t sorry. I’m in my hometown with my grandpa right now**

Cheryl’s heart sank, not only because she wouldn’t be able to have the anticipated conversation with Toni but also because her grandfather seemed to be the last member of her family that she had left. Cheryl remembered the pain she had felt going through the death of her beloved Nana Rose, the woman who had practically raised Cheryl and Jason while her parents were working. The heartache of a dying loved one was a hurt like no other.

**Sorry to hear that. How is he doing? Thinking of you…**

Cheryl stood up from her bed as she stared at her phone screen, waiting for Toni’s response. Toni replied quickly, the grey text bubble already appearing seconds later.

**His breathing is really bad still, I’m hoping to come back by tomorrow. I’m going to get some sleep, thank you for thinking of me**

Cheryl sighed and tossed her phone a bit forcefully on the bed. She didn’t blame Toni for being away and taking care of her sick grandfather, but the perfect situation in her head resulted in Toni coming over that night. Toni seemed off as well, most likely from the stress of having to care for her grandfather. Cheryl didn’t blame her for that, it just put a damper on her well thought out plan.

Oh well. Tomorrow was another day.

* * *

 

Cheryl awoke to sound of her phone ringing, blaring loudly through her large master bedroom. It startled her and she jerked away from a peaceful sleep, causing a slight panic to wash over her as she realized what the noise was. The sunlight from the large windows was coming through the cracks of her blinds, bringing some light to the otherwise dark room. She groaned audibly, reaching across her pillows to try and grab her phone on the bedside table. She looked at the caller ID, her _mother._ It was well past 10:30, the longest Cheryl had ever slept in the recent months. She didn’t want her mother to spoil her otherwise amazing start to her day, so she declined the call and dropped her phone back onto the table. It was still early in California, did that woman ever take a break?

Cheryl snuggled back under her blankets and readjusted her pillows as she prepared to go back to sleep, wanting to get as much as possible on her last day off. Whatever issue her mother had with her could wait.

Seconds later, her phone began to ring again. Cheryl scowled and groaned loudly, eyes snapping open. Her mother wasn’t going to stop calling until Cheryl answered, a tactic she did often. Knowing she was fighting a losing battle, Cheryl reached for her phone in order to answer her mother.

“Please enlighten me as to what exactly is so important that it needs to disturb my sleep,” Cheryl huffed angrily, but she could barely get the words out before her mother was shouting at her.

 _“Countless times I tell you that you need to be careful with the lifestyle you choose to live!”_ Penelope shouted at her through the phone. _“And what do I come to find out this morning when I look at the newspaper? That you’ve been outed as a lesbian!”_

Cheryl’s heart stopped in her chest as her stomach dropped to the floor. It was a feeling like no other, similar to a child being caught doing something naughty. Her whole world stopped in that moment as her mother shouted at her. Was this a dream?

“Outed? What are you talking about? How is that even possible?” Cheryl asked, throwing the covers away from her body. She stood up and reached for her laptop which had been sitting on a nearby table, opening it as her mother continued to yell at her.

 _“Your face with that stripper is all over the news! You took a picture with her? How could you be so careless, Cheryl,”_ Penelope scolded.

Cheryl didn’t answer, instead she typed “Cheryl Blossom” into her search engine and was soon greeted by countless articles that had been posted within the last couple hours.

**CHERYL BLOSSOM IS A LESBIAN, CONFIRMED**

**CHERYL BLOSSOM COZYING UP TO MYSTERIOUS STRIPPER IN NEW LEAKED PHOTO**

**ERABLE’S CHERYL BLOSSOM NUDE WITH ANOTHER WOMAN IN VIRAL PICTURE**

Cheryl scrolled through the articles, stunned at the media coverage. She knew that if they did ever find out about her sexuality that it would be big news, but not _this_ big. Everyone was talking about it, she was even trending on Twitter because of it.

 _“What do you have to say for yourself, Cheryl?”_ Penelope asked harshly.

Cheryl felt tears brimming at her eyes as she clicked on one of the articles, immediately greeted by the photo of she and Toni that they had taken. Cheryl stared at the photo as tears leaked down her cheeks at a rapid pace. She wiped them away with her arm, mind going a mile a minute as she processed the information.

“I-I don’t have anything to say,” she replied, pulling her phone away from her ear and promptly hanging up on her. Talking to her mother was definitely not something that would help her in this moment, especially when all she would hear was scolding from her.

She continued to scroll through articles as she processed what was going on. Her phone continued to vibrate, as messages and calls from her mother came in as well. Her publicist was trying to get her attention, so was her manager. Even Archie had been sending Cheryl countless texts trying to get her attention about the news that had been released.

Toni had outed her to the entire public, using her secrets as leverage in order to make quick money. Cheryl soon grew furious; she should’ve never trusted her. Only she and Toni had copies of that photo. Two printed photos and the digital copies on each of their phones.

Her anger soon turned back to sadness, betrayal, and loneliness. She had told some of her deepest darkest secrets to Toni throughout the time they had spent together, especially while lying together that night Toni had slept next to her. There were things she had told Toni that she hadn’t even told Josie yet. Cheryl couldn’t help herself but trust Toni and yet she hadn’t kept those secrets. How was it so easy for her to turn around and sell everything to the media?

Cheryl sobbed into her hands loudly in the privacy of her Manhattan penthouse. She knew she would come out someday, when the weight of her mother’s glares wasn’t as burdening, and she felt comfortable enough being honest with the world. Her perfect coming out would’ve been an exclusive interview with a magazine she respected, where she would explain why she had stayed closeted for so long and why she choose then to tell everyone.

This was forced. This was unexpected and in a way Cheryl never wanted it to be. And it was all Toni’s fault.

* * *

 

It had been raining heavily since mid-afternoon, with sporadic moments of torrential downpour that gave way to a softer drizzle. Cheryl knew this because she had been sitting by one of her bedroom windows, staring out at the city. Her whole world was crumbling around her, but the busy city of New York lived on. Cars below her drove quickly even in the heavy rain and hundreds of people in raincoats or holding umbrellas walked the streets. Cheryl watched them, trying to forget about how many phone calls she had received from her management and PR representative. She didn’t want to make a statement about her outing, she didn’t even want to face the world ever again.

She sulked by the window, watching the cloudy sky begin to get darker until she was watching headlights of cars and lights turn off in office buildings nearby. Cheryl had continued to think over her situation, only sipping water as she remained in her pajamas. Toni had ruined her life with one single photo and had run from her like the coward she was.

A few hours later, Cheryl sat in the backseat of her chauffeured car continuing to stare at the window. Her driver drove down the streets of Brooklyn silently, allowing Cheryl to sit in her brooding silence.

“Pull to the back alley,” Cheryl commanded as they approached their destination. She balled her fists tightly and squeezed once, digging her red fingernails into her palms as she prepared herself. Her driver turned down the back alley of a familiar brick building, slowing down to the metal door. He quickly got out and opened the back door for Cheryl, allowing her to step outside onto the flooded back alley. “Wait here. This won’t take long.”

Cheryl opened the door and entered, greeted by the familiar sultry music of Reggie’s club. She walked with intent, walking down the dimly lit hallway. A door that read “Authorized Persons Only” came into view as Cheryl quickly walked down the hall. The black hood of her raincoat was pulled up over her head, hiding her hair underneath and keeping her dry. She pushed the hood off before reaching out and opening the door, walking through into the room.

She was greeted by the shocked faces of at least eight women sitting in front of mirrors, startled by the sudden intrusion. Their shock only grew more when they realized who was standing in the doorway of their dressing room. Cheryl looked amongst the faces, spotting pink hair and dark brown eyes on the other side of the room. Toni was holding a mascara wand, already wearing a jeweled and revealing bikini.

“Cheryl? What are you doing? You can’t be back here,” Toni spoke, twisting around in her seat and standing up. She reached for her robe, pulling it over her to cover her revealing outfit.

“Out. Get out all of you,” Cheryl replied sharply, looking amongst the other dancers.

“What? You can’t just kick us out of our dressing room. We open in thirty minutes,” one dancer huffed.

“ _Out_ ,” Cheryl said sternly, causing eyes to widen at the anger in her voice.

It seemed to have worked as one by one each dancer left the dressing room, leaving behind just Toni standing awkwardly on the other side of the room.

“Look, I think I have a pretty good feeling as to why you’re here and I just wanted to say that it was _not_ me who leaked to the press the fact you’re a lesbian,” Toni began, stepping forward cautiously.

“Oh, I _know_ it was you Toni,” Cheryl spat. “Don’t even pretend like you’re innocent right now. Who else would’ve had that photo? Only you and I had it and it sure as hell wasn’t me.”

“Pretend? Are you kidding me right now?” Toni scoffed. “You really think after everything that I would sell your secrets to the tabloids? You clearly don’t know me at all.”

“No Toni, I really don’t. I honestly can’t distinguish between what is real and what is fake from what you’ve told me,” Cheryl countered angrily. “I was _so_ honest with you. I told you about my family, my secrets, my deepest fears and you turn around and sell a photo of us together because you can barely pay your fucking bills.”

Cheryl never swore, yet here she was using the filthiest words imaginable to express her anger for the pink-haired woman.

“Ok first of all Cheryl, I can pay my fucking bills and even if I couldn’t I wouldn’t fucking sell information about someone who I care for. Especially not you,” Toni replied through gritted teeth.

“I _trusted_ you Toni and you betrayed me. Just like everyone else,” Cheryl answered, cutting Toni off. “I clearly was just some money pit.”

“Fuck you,” Toni spat. Cheryl noticed tears brimming in her eyes. “Fuck you for just saying that.”

“Don’t you find it a little suspicious how you suddenly decided to leave Miami once you got a photo of us together? In order to see your grandfather who probably isn’t even sick,” Cheryl said accusingly. “In fact, I’m almost positive that’s why you left. And acted so strangely in the days following.”

“My grandpa is sick!” Toni answered. She couldn’t get anything else out, as Cheryl had continued her angry rant. “I’m really not who you think I am.”

“Oh _please_ ,” Cheryl hissed, stepping forward accusingly. Tears brimmed at her own eyes, but she pushed them back. All her life, those she had grown to care for had betrayed her in one way or another. She should’ve known better than to let Toni seep into the cracks of her life. She had made a place for her in her heart and Toni had sold her pictures all over the internet. “I know exactly what you are. You’re just a cheap back alley slut who just wanted to make a quick buck off the despair of someone else.”

Toni’s fists instantly balled at her sides as tears spilt down her cheeks. Her left fist jerked upward but stilled. It was a sudden movement, as if she was resisting the instinct to punch Cheryl directly in her face. Her bottom lip trembled as she looked up at Cheryl, fighting to remain in control of herself and her emotions.

The door burst open behind them and in walked Reggie, flanked behind two of the dancers that Cheryl had banished from the back room.

“Cheryl what the fuck? You can’t be back here with the dancers,” Reggie said, standing in the doorway looking disgruntled and in shock.

“She’s leaving,” Toni replied, voice shaking as she wiped at the tears on her cheeks. “In fact, she’s leaving right now.”

Toni stepped forward in order to pressure Cheryl towards the door, a look in her eyes she had never seen before. It looked lethal, immediately intimidating Cheryl despite their height difference. Cheryl briefly wondered if that was the Toni who had been in a gang as a child, hardened from years of street life.

“Get the fuck out of here,” Toni hissed, voice hardening with each word. “And I don’t care how famous you are or how much money you have in your fucking bank account. If you ever call me that shit one more time, I won’t hesitate to gut you from your collar bones to your pelvis. Don’t ever fucking come back here again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> big YIKES. who do you think snitched if it wasn't toni??
> 
> Also I see you guys on twitter talking about wanting me to update. I see you and I love you!!
> 
> Every time you see Madeleine in a pantsuit that is Cheryl in this fic!


	11. Part 1: Onze

_11._

“Where is she?”

Cheryl heard the faint voice of her brother Jason down the hallway, his tone laced with concern. Cheryl continued to stare numbly out the window in her bedroom, snuggling into the fuzzy blanket wrapped around her more. It had been three days. Three days since she had returned to her Manhattan penthouse and locked herself inside. The media begged for a statement, anything that would put the speculation to sleep. She refused to give them one, refused to post on social media or leave her building. Cheryl even refused to go on the internet at all, avoiding all of the articles that had been written about her. There were dozens of paparazzi waiting for her on the sidewalk, refusing to leave even as sleet and heavy rain came down on the city.

“She’s in her room,” Josie answered. Josie had arrived the night after the news had been released. They hadn’t talked much about what was going on, Cheryl was nowhere near ready to deal with her emotions. The only thing they had done was eat take out and watch old movies. Josie comforted Cheryl whenever she cried, patient and helpful as always.

Everyone she knew had contacted her. Archie had left her several voicemails, offering his support. He was currently in Italy with his dad but had suggested coming back to visit her. Cheryl hadn’t returned any of his messages, not knowing what to say to her longtime friend. Archie was the least involved in her life, but at least he tried. Kevin on the other hand had stopped by after one of his shows rather unannounced, staying to watch a few movies and offering his companionship.

She had been rather surprised when Jason announced he was flying into New York City in order to be with her. Though she would’ve done the same for him, Jason’s priorities were a bit all over the place.

Two large hands wrapped themselves around her shoulders about a minute later and she was hit with Jason’s familiar smell. He sighed heavily and leaned down, kissing her disheveled hair firmly. Cheryl had remained in the same pajamas for the last few days, not bothering to brush her hair or even take a shower.

“How are you doing?” Jason asked softly, crouching down next to where she sat. She half expected him to make a joke about how she was beginning to smell, but his seriousness remained.

“I’m okay,” Cheryl croaked, voice hoarse from lack of use. She barely uttered any words to Josie either.

Jason sighed again and rubbed his forehead, “Are you though?”

Cheryl looked at him, looking into his brown eyes that were the same as hers. She studied his concerned facial expression, trying to find comfort in his features. Though she used to find comfort in just his presence, today was different. Not even her twin could calm the raging storm inside of her, all she felt was emptiness when she looked at his face.

“Mom hates me,” Cheryl replied. “I’ve ruined everything.”

“Don’t say that,” Jason answered quickly, reaching out to take one of Cheryl’s clammy hands in both of his. She heard Josie walk into the room behind them, making her presence known with a small cough. “You didn’t ruin anything. Mom can’t do anything about what happened and she can’t punish you for it.”

“Jason, I’m going to have to live the rest of the life with the burden I just created,” Cheryl said, feeling tears beginning to brim at her eyes again. She no longer had any self-control when it came to holding the tears back, letting them free fall the moment they brimmed at their eyes. This time was no different, and soon they were spilling down her cheeks. “This isn’t how I wanted it to go at all.”

Jason shushed her softly, reaching forward to wrap her in a hug. He was bent over slightly, creating an awkward angle, but a slight feeling of comfort washed over her. She sobbed into his shoulder, gripping onto the fabric of his disastrous blue tie-die sweatshirt. He held her firmly, running a hand over her hair in attempts to smooth it down.

“This may not be how you wanted it to go, but I will tell you right now that you have caused no burden onto any of us. At least not the ones who matter,” Jason told her. “Yes, mom is pissed off, but she will get over it and life will go on.”

“Here’s some water,” Josie spoke up behind her and Cheryl felt Jason move as he reached to take the glass. “Jason’s right, Cher. No one that you care about has a negative opinion of you now that your sexuality has been made public.”

“How do you know?” Cheryl asked, pulling away from Jason’s shoulder. He immediately handed her the tall glass of water, urging her to drink. She took a small sip before putting it on the table next to her.

“You may not be reading the articles about you, but I have. They’re all praise; many people have put you on a higher pedestal than you were,” Josie explained, smiling slightly. “The general public has rallied behind you, trust me when I say that no one has turned against you.”

“Except maybe mom,” Jason added, immediately getting a glaring look from Josie. “Well, what I’m trying to say is the person who has had a negative reaction is her and she doesn’t matter, Cher. She doesn’t control your life and there isn’t anything she can do now that it’s known. I’m fairly certain that even dad doesn’t give a shit that you’re a lesbian.”

Cheryl thought about it, though she had considered it before. Her mother didn’t control her assets, lifestyle, job, or really anything about her life. She was entirely independent from her, the only thing holding her back was what her mother would think of her. For twenty-five years she tried to impress her, pushing herself to her limit in order to get some sort of approval. Hiding her sexuality was one of the only ways she thought she could hold a slight amount of her mother’s approval, but that flew out the window when Toni exposed her.

Betty had been messaging her constantly, wondering if she wanted to make a statement. What could she possibly say to the public that they didn’t already know? Should she explain why she kept herself hidden for so long?

“Mom can’t control you forever,” Jason said, squeezing her hand. “And everyone loves you, if not more now that they know just another piece of your identity.”

“I didn’t even want this to go the way it did,” Cheryl admitted. “I should’ve never gotten involved with Toni.”

“Toni? Was that the woman in the photo?” Jason asked, looking up at Josie for conformation.

“Why are you regretting it, girl?” Josie asked. “You had some of your best nights with her.”

“She leaked the photo,” Cheryl explained, causing their eyes to widen. “We met at that gentlemen’s club and got close. She earned my trust and used me in order to get proof that I was a lesbian, then exposed me to the public.”

“She did?” Josie asked, shock in her voice. “Are you sure? She didn’t seem the type at all.”

“Yes, I’m sure,” Cheryl nodded. “She’s the only one who had a copy of that photo. Josie, she didn’t even _call_ me when the story got dropped. On top of which, she left Miami almost immediately after she got that photo of us.”

“Well shit,” Jason sighed.

“Oh Cheryl, I know how much you liked her,” Josie sighed, reaching out to give her a hug.

“It doesn’t matter if I liked her. She betrayed me. Everything I felt for her is gone,” Cheryl told her, trying not to break down in tears again. “She means nothing to me now.”

Josie bit on her bottom lip, “And you’re sure it was her?”

Cheryl nodded, “Who else could it be? She wanted to ruin me. It was her plan all along.”

“Well, if it was her she didn’t succeed in that plan,” Jason pointed out. “You have the entire LGBT community pretty much rallying behind you.”

“Yeah Cheryl,” Josie agreed. “In fact, they’re all defending you since you were pretty much outed. But it just doesn’t make sense that she’d go through all that effort just to do that to you.”

“It doesn’t make sense to me either,” Cheryl shrugged. “I thought I knew her. But I guess I didn’t.”

“Here, look at this,” Jason said, holding out his phone. Cheryl looked down at the screen, greeted with countless tweets about her.

**@cherylblossom you’ll probably never read this but just know that you are so amazing and inspirational especially after this. I’m so glad to call you my role model**

**cheryl is a lesbian?? bitch I KNEW IT now my gay ass crush on her has intensified**

**brb gonna go buy the entire erable fall collection. can we say gay rights?**

Cheryl continued to scroll through the tweets, all of them positive and supportive of her. She didn’t know what to expect when it came to the public, but this was a pleasant surprise. Cheryl really did have people supporting her, rallying behind her and buying her clothes now that they knew she was a lesbian. There a was a slight soaring in her chest, which surpassed the sadness she had felt over the past few days. They loved her. Just as much as they had before.

“How do you feel?” Jason asked, looking at her hesitantly.

“A bit better,” Cheryl sighed, handing back the phone. “This isn’t just about being forced to come out. Jason, I know this is the first time you’re hearing about her, but I _really_ like Toni.”

“I’m sure you did, Cher,” Jason smiled softly. “You have a huge heart for the right people. She just wasn’t the right one.”

“It’s just so hard to accept though,” Cheryl said. “I really thought she was one of the right ones. That’s why I let her in like I did. I still can’t fathom how she turned out to be like the rest.”

“Bad people can hide themselves behind good intention,” Josie pointed out. “We live and we learn from it. But she didn’t drag you down under. She only made you more of an icon than you were.”

“And even if mom and dad hate you and cut you off, you still have us. Josie and I will be your family. We’re all that you need,” Jason assured her. “Archie and Kevin too.”

Cheryl looked up at the both of them. They were all she needed in that moment, all that she cared about. So what if Toni Topaz had stolen her heart and went running with it, only to stomp it onto the ground and sell her picture to the media? She had come out from the ordeal in one piece, stronger than she had been and with the support of people she loved. Toni didn’t matter. Sure, the circumstance was terrible, but she could finally be her true self now. She didn’t have to hide from anyone anymore.

“I think it’s time I make a statement,” Cheryl sighed, giving a small smile. “I think it’s time they know.”

* * *

 

**This post has been something that has been on my mind for the past three days. I never thought I would be writing this in the circumstance that I’m in, but I’m ready to be real with you all and own up to who I am. The constant speculation is true, I’m a lesbian. It’s something I’ve known about myself since I was in high school, but never felt comfortable enough to share it. I kept it secret, not only in fear of judgment, but because I wasn’t truly secure enough with myself in order to feel content with telling everyone. The people who knew were my closest friends, those I could trust with anything and supported me through everything. Those people have been by my side in the last few days, and I cannot thank them enough for their support. With that being said, the circumstance in which I’m telling you this is not something I expected. How I was outed was a blatant invasion of my privacy and my freedom to tell people was ripped away from me when this photo was sold to the media. Though it has given me the push to come out, I expected to do so on my own accord. I’m someone who always tries to find the happy ending in a terrible situation and am hoping that what has happened to me has inspired other closeted men and women to feel comfortable enough to be open with their sexuality. In the past few days, I have never received so much support from my friend, but from my followers as well. It has shown me that it is okay to be who you are, the ones who matter will love and accept you for it. From this day forward I will embrace my sexuality with pride and use my platform to support and inspire others in the community. This has been a hard few days, but I’m confident that I will continue to rise above. Thank you all for the support and love that I’ve received. I’m here and I’m ready to continue to make a mark on the world. Thank you for joining me in that journey. xx Cheryl.**

* * *

Cheryl felt reborn following her mass social media post, embracing her identity and feeling finally free. Her post had been received positively, with many other celebrities praising her for her bravery and offering her support. Dozens of people had called and texted her to express their love for her, she had even received flowers from Veronica. The little note that had been left called her inspirational, as the media had later confirmed the relationship that had happened between them previously.

A few days later, she had felt well enough to return to work. Her hair had been brushed out, she had dressed in her staple pant suit, and returned to the top floor of her office building. Her employees had welcomed her back with open arms, praising her and expressing their gratitude. The paparazzi had followed her every move, but she felt their constant flashing more bearable than ever before. She was free. Finally free.

The phone on Cheryl’s desk rang suddenly as she was hunched over her computer, buried in countless emails she had to try and catch up on. She reached for the phone, picking up it up and lifting the receiver to her ear. It was a call from her desk assistant.

“Cheryl Blossom,” Cheryl spoke professionally, continuing to type away on her computer.

 _“Ms. Blossom, a man named Reggie Mantle is here to say you. He said he doesn’t have an appointment, but that you’d want to see him,”_ her assistant said.

Cheryl frowned, why was Reggie here to see her? Was it to scold her for her breaking into his club and threatening his best dancer?

“Why is he here?” Cheryl asked, sitting back in her desk chair.

 _“He said he has something to discuss with you regarding the news story that had been posted about you,”_ she answered.

Was this about Toni? Cheryl chewed on her bottom lip in thought, wondering if she should humor him. What could he possibly want to talk about regarding that?

“Send him in,” Cheryl sighed, deciding to listen to what Reggie had to say. If anything, he would further confirm Toni’s guilt. And she wanted answers, _closure_ from Toni.

Cheryl hung up the phone and waited, closing out of her emails. She’d have to get back to them later.

There was a knock on her door a few minutes later and Reggie entered wearing an all-black suit and turtle neck. His hair was styled expertly, no strands falling in front of his face as usual. He looked out of place almost, no longer in the confines of his gentlemen’s club. There was a nervous look in his eyes, reminding Cheryl of the young man she had met in college.

“Reggie…what are you doing here?” Cheryl asked, motioning to the two chairs in front of her desk.

Reggie closed the door behind him and moved to sit in the chair in front of her. He sighed heavily.

“I know this is probably really unexpected but-,”

“Unexpected would be an understatement,” Cheryl interrupted, sitting back in her desk chair. “But it must be important if you’re interrupting me during a busy work week. Now, why are you here?”

“Look, I’m going to say something and I want you to promise not to get mad at me,” Reggie started.

Cheryl rolled her eyes, “What are we in middle school? Just tell me already.”

Reggie sighed heavily, “This may come as a bit of a shock, but it was me who sold the photo of you and Toni to TMZ. Not her.”

 _“What?”_ Cheryl gasped, mouth falling open in shock. “What do you mean you sold the photo of us? How?”

Reggie scratched the back of his head, “Toni came in for her shift the other night and had a printed photo of you both in her purse. It wasn’t hidden that well and I saw it while I was in the dressing room. I…I took a picture of it and sold it. I’m so sorry.”

A different kind of anger took over Cheryl’s body, along with anguish and regret. It didn’t make sense. How did Reggie pull this off? And why?

“You’re the one who outed me?” Cheryl asked. “Why? Why Reggie?”

Reggie gave her a pained expression, “I know it was selfish of me and my reason was selfish too. I just wanted more exposure for my club. They knew Toni was a dancer at mine, so I thought that by selling the photo more people would come.”

“So you publicly outed me for your own gain?” Cheryl repeated. “I literally cannot believe you right now.”

“I know it sounds crazy and I was going to let Toni get all of the blame, but after seeing how hurt you both were after that confrontation…I don’t know. I just knew I had fucked up,” Reggie sighed.

“You didn’t think you fucked up when you sold the photo?” Cheryl asked. “Was it really worth all of that money?”

“ _No!_ Not a single cent of it,” Reggie pleaded. “Please, Cheryl I am so sorry.”

Cheryl grew livid, eyes narrowing as she looked at Reggie. He had let her believe it was Toni this whole time and she had quickly jumped to the conclusion that it had been her who sold the photo.

“Toni didn’t have any involvement at all?” Cheryl asked.

“None! She didn’t even know I took the photo from her purse!” Reggie explained. “Other than be stupid enough to leave the photo in plain sight, she didn’t do anything.”

“You really lead me to believe it was her,” Cheryl answered angrily. “You let me verbally attack her in anger and didn’t say anything.”

“I’m so sorry, Cheryl,” Reggie could only reply.

“Get the fuck out of my office,” Cheryl hissed. A sinking feeling caused her stomach to plummet. She had called Toni some terrible things, only for her to not deserve it at all. There was no way Toni would ever forgive her for the things she had said.

Despite all the emotions she felt in that moment, her heart soared. Hearing the confirmation that Toni hadn’t been involved at all made her want to smile and cry tears of joy. Toni had been faithful all along; she had truly been telling the truth and truly cared for Cheryl. Toni was one of the good ones, and she had thrown her away when she called her a slut. The look on Toni’s face flashed through her mind, the look she had given Cheryl when she had been called a slut. How on earth was Toni going to forgive her for what she had said?

 _Don’t ever fucking come back here again._ The words echoed in her mind as she looked at Reggie, the man who had ruined her relationship with Toni. No, Cheryl had been the one to ruin the relationship. It had been her who exploded and immediately assumed it was Toni who had sold the photos. It was she who had created this mess.

“Cheryl I’m so sorry,” Reggie repeated.

“Reggie, I said get out. And never come back or contact me again,” Cheryl huffed angrily. “You’ve ruined my chance to come out how I wanted, and you ruined something special between Toni and I.”

“I didn’t realize how serious you were. I thought the relationship was purely sexual,” Reggie tried to explain.

“Do I need to call security in order to have you escorted out?” Cheryl asked through gritted teeth.

Reggie sighed, “No…but just know I do cherish our friendship much more than you think I do. This was an action made out of greed and a chance for fame. This isn’t who I am.”

“Get the fuck out,” Cheryl hissed, causing Reggie’s eyes to widen in fear. Tears stung at her eyes for the hundredth time in the last few days. How was she supposed to apologize to Toni?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter is the last chapter of part 1! part 2 will come shortly after and will be posted in this book :)
> 
> yikes even writing this has me shooketh
> 
> do you guys think toni is going to forgive cheryl or is toni about to push this girl away?
> 
> This chapter is so soon after the next because it’s the first day of pride month and I thought everyone deserved some sexuality acceptance in their life ;)


	12. Part 1: Douze

_12._

Cheryl had never been to the neighborhood of Sunset Park in Brooklyn. She didn’t expect to ever make the journey there, where apartment buildings were run down and old. A few months ago, Cheryl would’ve wrinkled her nose in displeasure as she looked at the buildings as they drove past. She was still resisting the urge to do so, as this was something she had never experienced. The gloomy sky and rain made the neighborhood they were driving through even more run down. Children were running up and down the streets, wearing raincoats zipped high as they ran home from school to get out of the rain. Cheryl’s driver had to stop suddenly a few times as kids ran out in from of the car, completely disregarding the expensive vehicle.

Cheryl looked out at the people sitting on their front steps as they passed, noticing they were eyeing the expensive black Cadillac SUV. It seemed out of place in a neighborhood like this one, where cars ranged from old rust buckets to newer inexpensive models. It was a miracle she had escaped without the paparazzi closely behind, as they had been staking out both her home and work building.

“We’re approaching the building, Ms. Blossom,” her driver informed her, catching her eyes in the reflection of the rear-view mirror.

Cheryl nodded in understanding, stomach jumbling in her stomach. She swallowed thickly and pulled the zipper her raincoat up higher and the hood over her head. She looked anxiously out the window at each building, wondering which one matched the address Cheryl had given her driver. Each building looked extremely different from each other, stacked tightly next to each other.

The car slowed down a few blocks and a minute later, pulling up to the curb outside of a brick building. The gate to the building was rusted and the latch didn’t work, allowing it to swing freely in the rain and wind. Cheryl gulped again as she looked at the building, hands shaking slightly as she took in the run-down apartment building. Was she absolutely crazy for coming all the way out here? Was she absolutely crazy for having Betty do a background check and find Toni’s address?

“When I leave just wait around the corner for me. I’ll call you when I need to be picked up,” she spoke to her driver, before opening the backdoor.

The chilly April air and freezing rain hit her suddenly, a stark contrast from the warmth of the luxury SUV. She ran her hands through her red hair before lifting the hood of her raincoat and stepping out of the car. Before she could change her mind and chicken out, Cheryl closed the door of the car and turned on her heels. The building looked ominous from where she stood, making her wonder if she had even come to the right place.

Cheryl walked up to the swinging rusty gate and reached out to grasp it, easily able to steady it so that she could pass by. There was no turning back now, she had come all this way. She had to keep telling herself that as she walked up to the stone steps that led to the front door. There was a callbox on the right, with the numbers of the seven apartments in the building. Cheryl approached hesitantly, eyes darting over the callbox as she looked for #4.

Taking a deep breath, Cheryl reached out and firmly pressed the button next to the number. A loud beeping noise issued from the speaker directly above the callbox, which was followed by silence immediately after. Her heart leapt as her stomach fell, waiting in anticipation for someone to answer her on the other side.

_“Who is it?”_

The voice was deep and gruff, which reminded Cheryl of someone Jason used to be friends with in college. Cheryl was surprised to hear a man’s voice on the other end, startling her as she looked down at the piece of paper in her hand. Toni was in apartment 4, right?

The paper confirmed her confusion, Toni’s address and apartment number was written on it in Betty’s beautiful handwriting. If this was the right apartment, who was on the other end? Did Toni have a boyfriend? She hadn’t even thought about the possibility that Toni could be seeing someone. Though she had never mentioned being with anyone, it’s not like she would’ve told Cheryl given their situation.

“Um, I’m looking for Toni Topaz,” Cheryl answered, rocking back on her heels. “Is this the right apartment?”

 _“Depends on who’s asking,”_ the voice replied. _“Who is this?”_

Cheryl bit her bottom lip and began to chew lightly, “Cheryl Blossom.”

There was silence on the other end. Too long for Cheryl’s liking. Whoever had answered the callbox seemed to have decided not to continue talking to her. Whoever it was must’ve been fully informed about what had happened between she and Toni. Cheryl stood underneath the overhang of the apartment building as the seconds passed, waiting anxiously for the man on the other end of the callbox to answer her.

A minute passed, then two. Cheryl began to realize that it had been a mistake to come all the way out to Brooklyn in order to see Toni. She had said some terrible things to her after all, she didn’t blame the shorter girl for not wanting to see her. Cheryl sighed heavily and crumbled up the paper in her hands into a tiny ball.

She stuffed it into her pocket as she walked down the steps of the apartment building and towards the gate, reaching for her phone to call her driver. What did she expect? She had called Toni a slut after calling her so many contradicting things beforehand. She had called her things in anger that she didn’t even mean, for something Toni hadn’t even been responsible for. Cheryl knew she deserved this from Toni, but wished things were different. For some reason, a part of her hoped Toni would be forgiving. It seemed that the little hope had been wrong.

Cheryl reached for the rusty gate and opened it, walking past the threshold and onto the sidewalk of the city when she heard a door open behind her.

“Cheryl?”

Cheryl whirled around in her steps, instantly recognizing the voice that had spoken her name. Her eyes fell upon the woman standing in the doorway of the building, figure illuminated by a yellow light from the hallway behind her. Cheryl felt all the air sucked from her lungs from surprise and shock of seeing Toni Topaz.

For a moment, Cheryl barely recognized her. Toni’s pink hair was covered by a black beanie that had been pulled past her ears. She was wearing a plain black shirt, with a red flannel wrapped around her waist. Her jeans were dark blue and ripped at various sections, paired with a thick pair of worn black combat boots. Cheryl had never seen her wear clothes like that but found herself extremely drawn to her style. Cheryl was immersed in fashion, looked at countless outfits and was on top of all the trends. How Toni looked now was something Cheryl liked. It didn’t follow a trend or a fad, it was organic and real. Toni’s true and natural style was something she had wished she had seen earlier and couldn’t help herself but be even more attracted to the grunge aesthetic.

“Toni,” Cheryl answered, trying her hardest to prevent her voice from cracking. “I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m here.”

“I am,” Toni replied shortly. “I thought I told you to stay the fuck away.”

The anger in Toni’s words caused Cheryl to recoil, realizing just how much damage she had done with her words. Toni was cold and withdrawn, towering over her from where she stood on top of the steps.

“Look Toni, I know you don’t want to see me, but I just wanted to come to tell you how sorry I am,” Cheryl began, trying to choose her words carefully.

“Sorry? Sorry for what? How the fuck did you even know where I live?” Toni asked, crossing her arms over her chest defensively.

“Sorry for everything. Everything! I’m sorry for accusing you of leaking that photo of us and I’m sorry for calling you all of those terrible things in anger and I’m sorry I immediately assumed the worst when it came to you,” Cheryl continued, feeling fresh tears begin to creep up on her. “And I’m sorry I came all the way out here just to tell you that, but I honestly would not be able to live with myself if I didn’t tell you.”

“What you think a simple apology is going to fix everything you did to me?” Toni hissed. “You completely shattered me in that dressing room. You were someone I cared for deeply and you belittled me before even trying to hear out my side about what happened. You just assumed that it was only you who would suffer the consequences of having that photo leaked?”

“Toni I-.”

“ _No_ , don’t even say anything. Did you even think about all the shit I would have to go through from that photo being leaked? I lost my day job because of that photo, because in order to go on that fucking Miami trip with you I told them I was taking a personal week off to go help my grandpa. I lied in order to go with you and when that photo leaked, they knew I was in Miami instead and fired me,” Toni continued. “I had to delete my social media accounts because your fans wouldn’t stop harassing me for hooking up with you. You think I wasn’t in just as much shock as you when everything came out?”

“You didn’t even call me,” Cheryl whimpered, tears spilling down her cheeks.

“Yeah, I didn’t call you. I was still processing the loss of my job and the bullying from your loyal fanbase,” Toni said, walking down the steps. “Maybe I should’ve. But in that moment, I was trying to figure out what I was going to do now that I only had my job at Reggie’s. And while my own life is crumbling to pieces and I’m somehow able to drag myself to Reggie’s club for my shift, I get a surprise visit from you where you berate me and accuse me of selling the picture. Someone who I trusted, and I thought trusted me. I shared information with you I don’t just share to anyone that comes to see me at that club. I thought I meant more to you than that.”

“You do! I trust you so much,” Cheryl tried to tell her.

“Clearly not. Because if you did, you wouldn’t have just assumed that it was me who did it,” Toni replied coldly.

“Toni, I do trust you. I’m sorry for immediately jumping to conclusions, but things were not pointing favorably in your direction when all of this was going down,” Cheryl spoke as she wiped at the tears in her eyes. “The morning after we took that photo together, you just up and left me with only a small explanation. You barely even spoke five words to me when I took you to the airport and you ignored pretty much all of my calls and texts when I was trying to check up on you. I _do_ care about you Toni. You were in my thoughts for the rest of my time in Miami because I was worried sick about your grandpa and how you were doing. Everything I have done for you since we’ve known each other is because I deeply respect the woman you are and hell Toni, I care about you! I wanted to make sure you had everything you needed and that you were always happy. That’s not something I can say I do for a lot of other people.”

“And what? You think this is supposed to just erase everything you said to me? Calling me a back-alley slut? Is that really what you think about me?” Toni asked.

“God no! I mean this from the very bottom of my heart, I will always regret saying those words to you. I don’t think you’re a back-alley slut. I said that in a moment of anger and weakness, which I know doesn’t excuse me. But, please know that I don’t think that of you. I respect you and what you do in order to pay your bills and make a life for yourself. I can see how much you care about the people you love and that you’d do anything for them. I can see how strong you are and strong opinionated, but I love that about you. I love everything about you, and it’s taken me months to finally realize it. I realized it on the Miami trip, and I didn’t know how to process that yet. I’m so used to these sorts of things happening especially when I start to feel the slightest bit of happiness, I just…I assumed the worst because it wouldn’t have been the first time.”

Toni paused, eyes softening slightly.

“You think I don’t feel the same? Everyone in my family but my grandpa has abandoned me. Do you know what it’s like to see your father _finally_ get out of jail and be so excited to be able to spend time with him again and things are well and good until one day he just packs up and leaves? Do you know what it’s like to be abandoned by those you loved?” Toni retorted. “My uncle kicked me out when he found out I was bi. You’re not the only one who gets the happiness in their life stolen from them. And how unhappy can you be when you’re one of the richest women in the world?”

“Being rich does _not_ allow me to feel even a shred of happiness!” Cheryl scoffed. “I may have the flashy items, but my own mother won’t even speak to me anymore since this news has been leaked. For twenty-five _years_ I lived in the shadow of my brother Jason, who did absolutely nothing but party and knock up a girl he barely knew. I’m one of the richest women in the world, but in my parents eyes I will never be as good as my brother who’s a deadbeat dad. Just because I’m rich doesn’t mean I don’t struggle too. We just struggle in different ways.”

Toni stared at her, making Cheryl wonder what she was thinking in her head.

“Why are you here? Other than to apologize,” Toni asked.

“I came to ask for another chance with you,” Cheryl admitted. “And I don’t expect things to be anywhere near where we were, but I know that you’re one of the best things that has graced my life and I don’t want to lose you just because I said some things I never meant.”

“And you’re expecting me to take you back?” Toni pried.

“Honestly, I don’t know what to expect,” Cheryl sighed, feeling more tears roll down her cheeks. “I just…I care about you Toni. And it’s gone beyond the surface level of what we were and has extended into something much more real.”

“Meaning?”

“I have big, strong feelings for you, Toni. I realized it in Miami on the beach when we were walking together,” Cheryl admitted. “There’s something about us that I couldn’t shake. Just how we are with each other and how we understood each other despite our completely different backgrounds. It made me realize that I always wanted to have you around. I want to hear how your day was and your childhood memories. There’s no one else I can say that I look at and feel an instant mood boost. Hell, even now when you walked out here, I couldn’t help myself but feel better just in your presence. We just have a connection that I can’t say I share with anyone else and I thought you were feeling the same thing too. It’s why I flew to assumptions so quickly; I was just so hurt because I thought I had been wrong and you really didn’t feel the same way about me.”

“You think after everything that happened that I didn’t like you?” Toni wondered. “I thought you didn’t like me.”

“Why would you ever think that?” Cheryl frowned.

Toni sighed as her voice softened, “The morning I left Miami I saw a text your ex had sent you and…I guess I just assumed that you guys were talking again. I know I shouldn’t have, but…Veronica is like an A-list actress and I’m just a dancer. I was insecure and stupid, but I felt I needed to leave before my heart broke.”

“So, your grandfather wasn’t actually sick,” Cheryl said.

“He is…but I wasn’t flying home to go and see him,” Toni admitted.

“What I’m hearing is that I’m not the only one who’s guilty of assuming the worst,” Cheryl observed.

“At least I didn’t call you a slut.”

“You could’ve just asked me,” Cheryl pointed out. “I would’ve told you. Veronica and I don’t even speak anymore. She just won’t stop messaging me.”

“In that moment, I had all the proof I needed. I felt silly for even considering that someone as big as you would ever look at someone like me in that way,” Toni admitted.

“You speak so lowly of yourself, Toni,” Cheryl began. “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met in my life. Inside and out. I don’t want to be with anyone else but you.”

“I feel the same way. I just didn’t know how to tell you that,” Toni replied, bottom lip trembling slightly. “I’m sorry for assuming.”

“I am too.”

They both stared at each other. Cheryl could feel the rain soaking her pants and wetting her hair, threatening to seep into the cracks of her rain jacket and drench her shirt. She didn’t know what else to say, she just knew her heart had made its decision and that it was Toni. She just wanted to be with Toni.

“I’m not asking for things to go back to the way they were. I’m asking for us to start over and explore what we feel for each other. Get to know each other for who we are and go from there,” Cheryl proposed. “The whole world knows I’m a lesbian now and my parents won’t talk to me. But…”

“Does it even matter much to you?” Toni interrupted. “Is it as crazy as you thought it would be?”

Cheryl sighed, “No. Honestly, it’s not as bad as I thought it would be. I thought it would turn my whole world upside down and at first it did, but then I realized how freeing it is to be out.”

“I know, I read your statement that you posted,” Toni agreed, stepping down to the last step. She was a few feet away from Cheryl, her beanie and hair already starting to get wet. “I’ve been trying to tell you that for months. You can only be happy once you learn to be happy with yourself.”

“Look, I’m putting my heart on the line with you right now. I don’t know what I want to happen or anything, but I wanted to let you know how I feel about you. Even if you don’t take me back, I felt I needed to tell you or I would’ve-.”

Without giving Cheryl another moment to speak, Toni took three quick strides towards Cheryl and reached out. Her wet hand reached out to cup Cheryl’s cheek, gently yet swiftly pulling Cheryl down so that she could press her lips tenderly to Cheryl’s.

Cheryl’s eyes fluttered closed immediately as she processed the sensation of Toni’s lips on hers, a feeling she had thought and dreamt and hoped to experience. Toni’s lips were soft and skilled, capturing Cheryl’s top lip between hers and sucking slightly. They held the kiss for what felt like ages, as rain continued to drench both women the longer they stood outside.

Cheryl’s hands reached out and wrapped themselves around Toni’s middle, pulling her flush against her body as their lips broke. Their lips weren’t detached for long, as their heads tilted to the side in order to kiss again. Cheryl felt her bottom lip fit perfectly between Toni’s, as Toni cupped both of Cheryl’s cheeks, pulling her even closer.

It was a moment Cheryl never wanted to end. The woman she had wanted to be with was kissing her with such passion and want that it left Cheryl dizzy. It didn’t matter that they were in public, that it was raining, and her socks were beginning to get wet. All that mattered was that Toni was kissing her and Cheryl was kissing her back.

Toni was dominating the kiss, controlling how long it lasted and where her lips went. Her tongue darted along Cheryl’s bottom lip, beckoning their kisses into something more passionate. The electricity between them was evident as their tongues met, tangled in a slow and tasteful dance. Toni’s arms snaked around Cheryl’s neck, making Cheryl realize just how much more passionate and meaningful this was than any other encounter they had together previously.

Their lips broke minutes later with a satisfying smooching noise, leaving both stunned about what they had just did. Instead of pulling apart, their foreheads came together softly. They held their contact as they began to catch their breath, eyes still closed as they took in the moment. Cheryl wanted to lean right back in and continue to kiss Toni but thought against it. Toni’s arms had unwrapped themselves from around her neck and were cupping her neck this time. She wondered if Toni could feel the strong and fast pulse of her heartbeat in her palms.

“So, I’m assuming you’re also on board with trying this with me?” Cheryl asked, leaning back in order to look at Toni.

Toni beamed up at her, “Haven’t we learned already what happens when we assume things?”

“Well are you going to tell me otherwise?” Cheryl asked.

Toni shook her head, “No. I want this too.”

“We don’t have to put a label on it. We don’t have to put anything on it. I just want to get to know you for you, no business transaction in the way or weird boundaries. I want to decide things once we get there,” Cheryl proposed.

“I agree,” Toni nodded. “We really are in no place to be together right now.”

“Exactly,” Cheryl smiled.

“So, who leaked the photo then?” Toni asked. “If it wasn’t me.”

“Your boss,” Cheryl sighed.

“Reggie?” Toni gasped, eyes widening. “You’re fucking joking.”

“I wish I wasn’t. He took the photo from your purse and sold it,” Cheryl explained. “I actually find it kind of cute you kept a photo of us in your purse.”

“I told you I liked you,” Toni giggled. “I guess that means I have to quit that job too. Unemployment is going to be something.”

“You won’t have to worry about that while you’re with me,” Cheryl said, shaking her head. “I don’t know about you, but as romantic as it is kissing in the rain I’m utterly soaked.”

“Do you want to come inside?” Toni asked, pointing behind her. “Sweet Pea’s in the living room, but he won’t care.”

“I’d love to,” Cheryl beamed.

“It’s no Manhattan penthouse I’ll tell you that,” Toni chuckled. “Far from it actually.”

“I don’t mind,” Cheryl shrugged. “As long as with you I really don’t care where we are.”

* * *

  _Fin de la partie 1._

_**_On n’aime que ce qu’on ne possède pas tout entier._ ** _

* * *

__The worst loneliness is to not be comfortable with yourself.”  
― Mark Twain_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PHEW. Part one is over! There are two parts remaining which will be as long as part 1! I hope you enjoyed this first part, there will be a lot more drama, angst, and romance in this next part. You will finally be seeing the highly spoken of Veronica Lodge, as well as Toni and Cheryl's progress as individuals and as a couple 
> 
> Ugh. I love writing this so much. please let me know your thoughts.  
> \- Kylie
> 
> PS. Will probably be taking about a week or so before my next update which is the first chapter of part 2. I need to sort out the last of part 3 and make sure there are no plot holes and that it all makes sense. Thanks for understanding :)


	13. Part 2: Treize

_13._

“Cheryl! Cheryl! Look this way!”

“Looking amazing tonight, Cheryl! Give us a smile!”

The shouts were drowned out by the sound of multiple cameras going off at once, as hundreds of photos were taken of her from each angle. The flashing lights practically stunned her, as they continued in such rapid succession that could make anyone’s head spin. Cheryl did her best to keep her pose, to look desirable and elegant as the cameras continued to go off. Her first red carpet event had happened when she was only twenty, but that didn’t stop the anxious feeling in her stomach despite the experience she had. Her eyes tore away from the cameras, searching for her plus one as comfort. She reached out her hand in order to grab the hand of her date.

A hand took her open one firmly, grasping it as she pulled them towards her. Jason walked stepped closer, wrapping his arm around Cheryl’s waist as their sides touched. He smiled down at her brightly, squeezing her lower back tightly to give her some reassurance. She smiled back at him, the crisp May air causing a shiver up her spine.

“Do we just keep smiling?” Jason chuckled, leaning in to speak to Cheryl.

“Don’t just smile. Just try to pose naturally. Remember what I told you in the limo?” Cheryl answered.

Cheryl had chosen Jason to come with her, as she knew he’d be the only person Anna Wintour would approve of as her date. The Met Gala was in full swing, the theme of Camp being something that Cheryl had been obsessing over for the last month. She spent sleepless nights designing she and Jason’s outfits in the recent weeks, even participating in some of the assembling. Cheryl wanted everything to be perfect for this night, down to what type of stitching was used to bring everything together.

Cheryl was wearing a floor length dress that was a bright white. Splattered all over the bottom half was rainbow colored paint, which was inspired by the Jawbreaker candies she and Jason used to eat as kids. The top half of her dress remained untouched by the paint and was sleeveless. Her red hair was cascading down her back in loose curls. All the jewelry on her fingers, wrist, and neck were silver and encrusted with dozens of tiny diamonds.

Jason’s outfit matched hers perfectly. Dressed to his finest, Jason wore a burgundy colored suit. Rainbow sequins had been sewn into the shoulder pads and down part of the sleeves, looking similar to epaulets. His hair was styled back with a lot of hair gel, leaving his hair almost rock solid as it was held in place behind his ears. His jewelry consisted of a diamond studded watch and a single silver chain around his neck.

They continued to pose for pictures, walking down the pink carpet after a few minutes to pose for more. When they reached the interviewers, Cheryl was immediately flagged over by someone holding a microphone with Vogue’s logo emblazoned on the side. Cheryl thought she recognized the interviewer as someone from YouTube but couldn’t remember her name.

“And here is Ms. Cheryl Blossom!” the interviewer beamed, leaning forward to hug Cheryl and kiss her cheek. Cheryl smiled and hugged the woman back, still not remembering her name.

“Hi! How are you doing tonight?” Cheryl asked, seeing Jason move to stand next to her on the left.

“I’m doing great, but let’s just take a minute to talk about how gorgeous you look this evening,” she answered, speaking into the microphone. “Did you design this yourself?”

“Yes, I designed both mine and my brother’s outfit,” Cheryl nodded, still keeping her constant smile as the microphone was held out to her. “It took a lot of sleepless nights I’ll tell you that.”

“Well you really nailed the Camp theme tonight. What’s the inspiration for this look? Does it have anything to do with your recent coming out?”

Cheryl flashed a teasing smile to the camera as the cameraman stepped back to film both of their outfits from a better angle, “It does! I wanted to bring the pride flag into our outfits tonight since this was such a big milestone for me. Now that I feel like I have nothing to hide, I wanted to make subtle nods to my sexuality and all of the people in the community since pride month is coming up.”

“And what about you, Jason? Are you proud of your sister tonight?”

Jason smiled and leaned forward to speak into the microphone, “Oh definitely. I’ve been proud of her since she started this company in the first place. But even more so now that I know she’s being true to herself.”

“I read your article in TIME magazine and couldn’t help but be moved by your story involving your sexuality,” the interviewer said with candid emotion. “Since the article was released, you’ve definitely taken the spotlight as an inspiration for young queer women who are also finding the courage to come out. What are you hoping that your fans will take away from all of this?”

Cheryl looked directly into the camera as she answered, “Just know that you can’t truly find happiness until you accept yourself for who you are and who you love. Since coming to terms with my sexuality and being open about it, I’ve never been happier. And that no matter what, those who matter will support you for who you are.”

“Truly moving,” the interviewer smiled. “Now, myself and I’m sure many other people are interested in knowing this too. Just wanted to know if you’re seeing anyone at the moment and the infamous Cheryl Blossom off the market? Maybe seeing that woman with the pink hair you were photographed with?”

Cheryl laughed, “I won’t confirm nor deny what’s going on behind the scenes right now. But I am definitely keeping my love life private. Since this is all super new, I want to keep that part of my life under wraps for now, just to avoid any unwanted press. We know how that can get. I’ll definitely share it with everyone when the time comes.”

“Oh yes we do, and we will all flip out when it happens. Well, Cheryl it’s been great talking to you and once again, you both look absolutely stunning. I expect you’ll be on Met Gala’s Best Dressed by tomorrow. Enjoy the event!”

“Thank you so much,” Cheryl smiled, wishing she remembered her name. “It was so nice seeing you.”

Cheryl and Jason continued onwards, making it inside fifteen minutes later after a few other short interviews. The event itself was packed with people by now, as she and Jason were some of the last guests to arrive. Everywhere she turned, there were A-lists celebrities dressed in extravagant outfits that designers had made for them. Some were incredible, while others were definitely far out there and unattractive. They hadn’t gotten too far inside before someone reached out and grabbed Cheryl by the arm.

“There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

It was Josie, wearing a bright orange dress covered in feathers of the same shade. It was another outfit Cheryl had designed for the show, as she had asked Josie to wear something from Érable.

“We had a few wardrobe malfunctions on Jason’s tux, but we’re here,” Cheryl answered breathlessly. “Jesus, it’s hot in here.”

The museum was becoming stuffy and hot from all of the people crammed inside, and servers failed miserably at weaving in and out of the people holding trays of drinks and food. Though the event was highly anticipated, and hundreds of thousands tuned in to look at everyone’s outfits, this definitely had been an event Cheryl had been dreading.

The trio did their best to navigate their way through the museum, looking for someone who had any sort of drink. Josie led the way, weaving in and out of people while grasping Cheryl’s hand. Some people noticed them walking by and stopped them to chat and say hi, adding to the time it took for them to cross the room. While Josie was wrapped up in her conversation with a Victoria’s Secret model she knew, Cheryl decided to continue on in search for drinks.

“Cheryl Blossom, I thought I would be seeing you tonight.”

Cheryl looked to her left and froze, coming only a few feet away from her ex-girlfriend, Veronica Lodge. Her eyes widened slightly as she processed the woman in front of her, who was wearing a deep red dress with swirls of white. Even Cheryl had to admit she looked stunning. Standing right behind her was Archie, wearing a black suit with a deep red bowtie. She and Archie? Archie was her date? Cheryl knew she’d at least see Veronica tonight, as Veronica had been on the guest list for the last two years. Her plan was to avoid her at all costs, but it seemed as if she had already failed at that.

“Well, I am one of the most influential fashion designers in the world. It makes sense that I would be here,” Cheryl retorted. Her eyes flashed over to Archie standing behind her. “I’m surprised to see you’re here, Archibald. And to see you two here _together_.”

“Oh, don’t read too much into it, Cheryl,” Veronica sighed, waving her off. “This is mostly a publicity stunt to promote my new movie coming out this summer and besides, Archie needed a leg up after his split with Josie.”

“I would’ve asked you if it was ok. This just happened really last minute,” Archie spoke up apologetically.

Cheryl stared at him in response, not opening her mouth. She could feel her heart beating heavily in her chest.

“Right, well this is super awkward,” Jason spoke up behind Cheryl, sighing heavily. “I need a drink. Care to come along, Archie?”

Jason sidestepped around Cheryl and grabbed Archie by the sleeve, forcefully pulling him along to leave the two women alone. Veronica smiled at them with her signature smirk and heavily glossed lips before turning back to Cheryl.

 “I hope you don’t think this is some revenge plan I had by bringing Archie with me to The Met,” Veronica spoke, breaking the palpable tension.

“I don’t,” Cheryl answered shortly. “I just think it’s common curtsey to tell someone they’re going to be bringing their ex as a date to a public event.”

“In Archie’s defense it really was last minute,” Veronica explained, looking over Cheryl’s outfit. “You look gorgeous by the way.”

“You do too,” Cheryl answered. “And thanks for the flowers by the way. You really didn’t have to.”

“I just wanted to send my support. I can only imagine how traumatizing last month must have been,” Veronica said, her smirk becoming a smile. “You truly are an inspiration.”

“Thanks,” Cheryl smiled, not knowing what else to say. “I’ve been trying to get a drink for the last twenty minutes, so I’m going to go.”

“I’ll see you around, maybe?” Veronica asked, her confident demeanor diminishing as she realized Cheryl was going.

“Yeah, maybe,” Cheryl shrugged, before pushing passed thru the crowd of people.

Cheryl did her best to regain her composure after her awkward conversation with Veronica. In truth, she hadn’t seen the woman since their split last year. Though she knew she couldn’t avoid the famous actress forever, it didn’t stop her from trying to avoid the confrontation. As she moved forward, she spotted Jason and Archie surrounding a server carrying glasses of champagne. Jason spotted her as she approached, offering her an apologetic smile. Only a few more hours of enduring this before she could go home and be with the person she truly wished to be spending time with.

* * *

 

Cheryl opened the front door to her apartment hours later, exhausted and wearing more casual clothing. She had undressed the moment she left the event in the limo, changing into fashionable yet simple lounge clothing. She could hear the TV on down the hallway, overhearing two interviewers discussing some of the looks from the event.

She closed the door behind her, kicking off her shoes as she quickly walked towards the grand room. Sitting on one of the couches wearing a black t-shirt and ripped jeans was Toni, sprawled across the pillows with one leg propped up on the cushions and the other on the coffee table. Her eyes lit up the moment they met Cheryl’s, causing a wide grin to spread across her face.

“You did amazing,” Toni spoke, words causing all of the stress and worry Cheryl had to melt away.

Cheryl beamed back at her, before stepping forward and collapsing on top of her on the couch. Her arms found their way around Toni’s middle and her head fell onto Toni’s chest. She immediately leaned forward, kissing Toni firmly. Toni kissed back, dropping her phone to the side in favor of cupping Cheryl’s cheek. Cheryl ran a hand through Toni’s now blonde hair, tucking the strands behind her ears as their lips broke.

“That was the worst six hours of my life,” Cheryl admitted, burying her face into Toni’s neck. Having the support and comfort of Toni after a long and stressful day was exactly what Cheryl needed, and it made it wonder how she was able to survive without this sort of affection at the end of the day. Although Toni wasn’t around all of the time, the nights where she got to cuddle up next to her and sleep were the best ones.

“Well, you handled it all really well. Good job answering those relationship questions in that interview with Liza Koshy,” Toni giggled.

“Liza! That was her name! I couldn’t think of it the whole time,” Cheryl groaned, leaning her head back as Toni ran a hand through her red hair.  

“Were there a lot of people there?” Toni asked.

“Tons,” Cheryl sighed, propping herself up on her elbows. “I cannot handle that many people at once.”

Toni looked down at her with soft brown eyes as she tucked a strand of hair behind Cheryl’s ears. Cheryl looked back up at the former dancer, admiring her new “Diamond-free” hair. As Toni was no longer a dancer at Reggie’s gentlemen’s club, she was no longer obligated to keep dyeing her hair that vibrant shade of pink. The blonde suited Toni more, making her look older and more mature for twenty-three.

“What’s wrong, babe?” Toni asked, stroking Cheryl’s cheek. “It looks like you have something on your mind.”

Cheryl shook her head, “Nothing’s wrong.”

Toni’s eyebrows raised suspiciously, “Are you sure? You don’t look like nothing’s wrong.”

“What makes you say that?” Cheryl wondered.

Toni’s eyes left Cheryl’s as she nodded to the TV screen behind her. Cheryl turned in Toni’s lap slightly so she could look behind her. Images of Archie and Veronica posing on the pink carpet flashed on the screen, alongside of some commentary about their outfits. Cheryl stared at the screen for a few seconds before turning back to Toni.

“Kind of surprising that they went together,” Toni said, stroking Cheryl’s arm comfortingly. “Isn’t Archie one of your closest friends?”

“So, I thought,” Cheryl sighed, returning her head to where it was resting on Toni’s chest. “They both said the decision was last minute and to promote her movie and his career…but, I don’t know I feel like that’s something I should’ve been notified of? Last minute or not.”

“Archie should’ve never gone with Veronica in the first place,” Toni pointed out. “Even if it was to boost their careers. You guys were in a serious relationship and he knew that. It just kind of goes against friend code almost.”

“Well, I’ll just say that I’m not the happiest at the moment,” Cheryl admitted. “Not to mention that Veronica and I had a pretty awkward conversation where Jason and Archie just straight up abandoned me, so I was forced to make small talk with her.”

“Jesus Christ,” Toni remarked, sighing heavily. “I don’t think I could ever understand the drama and games of rich people.”

“Trust me, you don’t want to. It’s a world of fake people,” Cheryl grumbled, inhaling the smell of Toni’s perfume in attempts to calm her stress levels.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, as Toni continued to stroke her hair and arms. Cheryl only breathed deeply and tried to relax in Toni’s arms, not wanting to move from the position they were in. She already knew that there was a 0% chance she was going to let Toni go home tonight, instead she wanted her in her bed and wrapped securely in her arms.

Toni leaned down and began kissing the top of Cheryl’s head softly, eliciting a shiver up her spine. Cheryl squeezed Toni’s waist tighter and lifted her head up so that she was able to kiss Toni before she kissed her head again. The kiss was soft and sweet. Cheryl found she couldn’t get tired of kissing Toni no matter how much she did it. And they had kissed for hours on end in the first few weeks after confessing their feelings for each other.

Cheryl pushed forward slightly, adding more pressure and passion to the kiss. One of her hands reached out to cup Toni’s cheek as her tongue lightly touched Toni’s bottom lip. Toni’s mouth opened wider, allowing Cheryl’s tongue to slip inside. Toni moaned softly in response, only spurring on Cheryl to continue. Her hand slid down Toni’s neck and down her chest, stopping at the hem of her shirt.

“This is all I need right now,” Cheryl whispered against Toni’s lips, causing the shorter girl to let out a shaky breath. Cheryl’s fingers dipped under the hem of her shirt and touched the bare skin of her abdomen. She could feel the tiny goosebumps rising up on Toni’s skin as her body reacted to Cheryl’s touch. Once her hand slid completely underneath Toni’s shirt, Toni pulled back from their kiss to look into Cheryl’s eyes.

“Was it weird to see Veronica after not seeing her for so long?” Toni wondered.

Cheryl frowned, “Yeah, but that’s expected. Are you ok? Is that bothering you?”

“No,” Toni replied, shaking her head. “I mean it’s not like I’m jealous or anything. I just wanted to know how you were feeling about it.”

“Toni, don’t worry about what happened or about how I am. It’s just something that was going to happen sooner or later,” Cheryl answered. “Just don’t keep thinking about it, ok?”

Toni sighed and nodded, prompting Cheryl to lean forward again and kiss her softly. Instead of letting Cheryl take control of their kissing once again, Toni took initiative to deepen the kiss and pushed against her. Cheryl felt herself leaning backwards before Toni laid her down on the couch. They continued to kiss passionately as Toni reached for the waistband of Cheryl’s pants, quickly managing to unbutton them with one hand.

“I know something that can take the stress off your night,” Toni mumbled against Cheryl’s lips.

“Oh do show me,” Cheryl giggled, as Toni tugged the pants down Cheryl’s legs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi yes.... it's been a month. i know I KNOW. that few weeks break turned into a month just from how busy i've been this summer. and i know this update was on the shorter side too. i did my best to make it longer because it was a lot shorter before, but since this is the first chapter of part 2, it's only an intro chapter so there isn't much else i could've included without having to change the plot or add meaningless filler. 
> 
> i hope you enjoyed regardless.
> 
> i have a twitter now by the way! if you'd like to stay updated on when i'll be updating or ask questions, just follow me @erableceo 
> 
> let me know your thoughts on what part 2 is going to be about :)


	14. Part 2: Quatorze

_14._

Spending nights with Toni were nights that Cheryl enjoyed the most. She had become used to having the younger woman sleeping next to her, either pressed to her chest or with her arms around her middle. Cheryl adored holding Toni in her arms, watching her sleep peacefully as she focused on Toni’s slow breaths. She noticed how Toni exhaled strongly in her sleep, expelling air from her nose audibly. Her eyebrows twitched sometimes too, especially when she was really tired. Cheryl liked to watch her sleep, opting to stay awake and lightly trace the outline of her jaw and eyebrows with her finger. Cheryl also loved the nights where she slept in Toni’s arms, when Toni would stroke her thigh and arms until she drifted off into a peaceful slumber. They always awoke tangled together or sometimes barely touching on opposite sides of the bed.

It didn’t matter where she was sleeping next to Toni, her sleep was always the most fulfilling. Some nights that meant Toni was in her penthouse apartment, blonde hair spread across the plush pillows. Other nights it meant Cheryl slept on a worn full-sized mattress in Toni’s room in Brooklyn. The mattress was too firm for her and squeaked audibly whenever she made the slightest move. Normally, Cheryl would turn her nose in distaste at the state of the bed she was lying on, but surprisingly found she didn’t mind sleeping on Toni’s bed at all. Toni’s room was small and cluttered with tons of keepsakes. Her old leather jacket from the gang she was in was draped over her desk chair. Her clothes were pouring out of the old wooden dresser by her bed, and the only way the room was staying warm was due to a space heater plugged in the corner.

Tonight was one of those nights where Cheryl stayed at the rundown Brooklyn apartment with Toni. She didn’t mind any of the oddities of Toni’s living arrangement. She enjoyed making small talk with Toni’s best friend Sweet Pea, who turned out to be quite knowledgeable about an issue with Cheryl’s beloved cherry red convertible. Cheryl had spent enough nights at their apartment that there was vegan food in the fridge and a toothbrush for her in the bathroom.

Cheryl awoke to the sound of talking, which was growing louder as the second passed on. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, tightening her grip around Toni. Her head was nestled comfortably on Toni’s bare chest, one leg draped over Toni’s waist. Toni was still sleeping peacefully under her, unphased by the noise from outside the door. Cheryl lifted her head up slightly, eyes blinking in the morning light as she looked at the clock next to Toni’s bed. 10:43am.

Cheryl groaned slightly and fell back onto Toni’s chest. She had slept in far later than she anticipated. She was supposed to meet with Kevin for a late lunch in a few hours. There was no way she’d be able to make it on time at this point. She listened closer at the conversation outside of the door. Cheryl could hear Sweet Pea’s deep voice, growing agitated with each exchange. There was a woman’s voice answering him, brash and harsh. Whoever she was, Sweet Pea had clearly angered her. Cheryl wondered if she was his crazy girlfriend, who would get angry when he wouldn’t answer her messages fast enough.

“Who’s that?” Toni grumbled; her voice thick with sleep.

“I don’t know,” Cheryl answered, pulling the comforter higher up her body. “It sounds like Sweet Pea is talking to someone. She seems angry.”

Toni chuckled and kissed Cheryl’s forehead, “Sounds about right. That man always leaves a trail of broken hearts.”

The voices had escalated to shouting by now and two pairs of heavy footsteps could be heard outside the door. Though Cheryl had started to try and tune out the commotion outside of the door, Toni bolted upright as she sat up in bed. She pushed Cheryl off of her, causing Cheryl to fall back onto the pillow behind her.

_“I know she’s in there!”_

The woman’s voice was heard right on the other side of the door, and less than a second later the same door flew open. In the doorframe was a tall and intimidating looking woman. Her hair was dark and styled into many small braids, which were wrapped in a tight bun behind her head. Her makeup was dark, which matched her dark clothing.

It took Cheryl two seconds to register what was happening. That there was a stranger standing in the doorway of Toni’s room and she had a full view of the women naked in bed. Cheryl grabbed the covers and yanked them upwards, successfully covering her body up to her armpits.

“Holy shit!” Toni yelled, trying to hide herself under the comforter as well. “Peaches? What the fuck are you doing in here?”

Peaches? Toni had never mentioned her before. It seemed as if this woman was not Sweet Pea’s crazy ex-girlfriend, but someone involved with Toni.

“I tried to stop her, but she just busted into the fucking house like she owns the damn place!” Sweet Pea shouted, coming up behind her angrily.

“Bitch I’ve been coming here for years and now you suddenly have an issue with me coming in unannounced,” Peaches retorted to Sweet Pea before turning back to the two in bed. “Now I can see why. Because you have a prissy ass white bitch in your bed.”

“Excuse me?” Cheryl scoffed. “Who do you think you are?”

“Who do you think _you_ are?” Peaches asked angrily, hoop earrings shaking slightly with each word. “You’re in my woman’s bed right now. I should be asking you that.”

“Peaches get the fuck out!” Toni shouted. Cheryl could feel her body stiffen next to her. “And don’t call me your woman. I’m not your woman and you have no right to be in this apartment. Do I need to call the cops on your dumb ass right now?”

Peaches glared at Toni, dark eyes flickering between she and Cheryl. “Fine. I’ll leave. But you have a lot of fucking explaining to do later.”

She turned on her heels and pushed Sweet Pea out of the way, sending him into the doorframe harshly. Toni took the opportunity to scramble for her robe, which had been tossed onto the floor by the dresser. She pulled the turquoise robe over her naked body and tied it securely around her waist before hurrying out the door.

The door slammed shut behind her, leaving Cheryl utterly confused and naked in Toni’s bed. She could hear more talking from outside the door but couldn’t make out what they were saying. Cheryl tried to process what exactly had just happened. A random woman claiming Toni to be her “woman” had just seen her completely naked with Toni in bed. Cheryl couldn’t help but feel taken aback by the exchange.

She reached for her phone and pulled up the conversation to the only person she felt she could trust with this sort of information.

**Josie wtf. So, I spent the night at Toni’s and some random ass chick just burst into the room claiming that Toni is her woman and that Toni has a lot of explaining to do? She totally saw us both completely naked too!**

Josie responded immediately.

**Girl what? That’s sketch af. Is she a side chick? Or are YOU the side chick?**

Cheryl’s stomach fell. She hadn’t thought about Toni dating around. She assumed they were both going to be exclusive without the labels until they got to know each other more.

**I mean maybe. I hope not. I’m not sure honestly**

**Well…you aren’t like officially together so**

**Yes Josie I know that. I don’t want to be thinking about her being with other people, but the exchange was just too weird**

**Ask her about it**

There was a soft knock on the door, which caused Cheryl to toss her phone back onto the beside table it was sitting on.

“Come in,” Cheryl said, her voice hoarse from sleep.

The doorknob turned and Toni entered, a serious expression on her face. The robe was still wrapped tightly around her, keeping her body covered.

“Hey. I’m really sorry about that,” Toni sighed, closing the door behind her. She sat down on the edge of the bed next to Cheryl, running a hand through her hair. “I guess I have some explaining to do.”

“Who was that?” Cheryl asked, adjusting herself under the blankets. “And what is her issue?”

“She’s an old girlfriend who still thinks we have a chance of getting back together,” Toni explained. “She’s old news, babe. She just does some crazy shit once and a while.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Cheryl asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I don’t know what you want me to say, Cheryl. I’m just telling you the truth,” Toni retorted, attitude laced in her voice.

Cheryl sighed, “Well, I’m happy that you told me the truth. But I do wish you mentioned her sooner.”

“I didn’t think I would need to. We haven’t spoken in months,” Toni answered.

Cheryl studied Toni’s face, trying to judge how truthful she was being. The exchange that had happened didn’t seem to be coming from someone who Toni hadn’t seen in months. She didn’t want to not believe her, but she couldn’t help but feel skeptical. She had no idea what Toni was up to before they had gotten together. Hell, this woman had even called Toni _her woman._

“I believe you,” Cheryl voiced, sighing slightly. “We all have that crazy ex.”

Toni smiled, leaning forward slightly to peck Cheryl’s lips. “Don’t think about it too much. All of it is in the past.”

* * *

 

“Cheryl, I’m so glad that you agreed to meet me for lunch.”

Archie’s slightly panicked and apologetic voice greeted her the moment she pulled out of her chair to sit down in front of him. He looked healthier, much tanner from a two-week vacation to Maldives. His fiery red hair was freshly cut and styled back, his face rid of the stubble he had been sporting for the pasts few months.

“Well you did invite me to my favorite restaurant in Midtown. How could I say no?” Cheryl replied, doing her best to give Archie a forced smile.

She examined his attire from across the table, as someone in the fashion industry always did. He was wearing a salmon pink colored shirt, with the top buttons undone to expose his toned chest. The button up shirt he was wearing was tucked into his black pants, held together by a large and flashy belt. Cheryl was surprised by how cleaned up he looked, a far stretch from the band tee’s and jeans he was wearing a few short months ago.

“There’s a reason I invited you here,” Archie explained. “I wanted to apologize for not warning you that I was going with Veronica to the Met a couple weeks ago. I honestly feel really guilty about it. I was selfish and I didn’t think about what you would feel in that moment. It was just a chance to get a jump on the new music I’m releasing.”

Cheryl looked him over, taking in his apologetic facial expression.  

“It was a pretty terrible move on your part, Archibald,” Cheryl admitted. “It wouldn’t have been as shocking if you had told me even the night before.”

“I know and I feel terrible,” Archie sighed. “I shouldn’t have left you two alone either like that. I know she had been trying to get close to you for months…I just wasn’t thinking.”

“You’re not the only one to blame for that. Jason is as guilty as you are,” Cheryl pointed out. She sighed heavily, “But thank you for apologizing. It wasn’t the _worst_ night that it could’ve been. She was surprisingly tame.”

Archie let out a nervous laugh, “Believe me, I would’ve stepped in if I thought things were going to get catty.”

“It was really just a boost for your career?”

“If you’re asking me if we’re seeing each other, the answer is no,” Archie answered. “I would never date anyone you dated, especially someone so serious.”

“Welcome back, Ms. Blossom. Can I get you your usual beverage to begin?” a waitress asked, approaching the two of them.

Cheryl tore her eye contact away from Archie in order to look at the waitress. She recognized her, having had her a few times. “That would be perfect. Thank you.”

“It seems like Veronica’s more focused on winning you back than looking at seeing other people,” Archie pointed out.

Cheryl laughed, “Why is she bothering? It’s been months and the media has been really running with this story about Toni and me. She should know I’m seeing someone else.”

“Are you still seeing Toni?” Archie asked, sipping his water.

“Yes I am. And it’s been amazing really,” Cheryl admitted. “I’ve never felt a connection like this with someone before, not even with Veronica. Things are a little weird right now, but it’s all so new.”

“You seem really happy. I’m happy for you, Cher,” Archie smiled. “You’ve always been like a sister to me.”

“And don’t forget it,” Cheryl laughed. “I see you’ve cleaned up a bit. Trying to impress Josie?”

“Kind of yeah,” Archie admitted. “I just realized that wallowing in my own self-pity wasn’t going to do anything to get her back. I started drinking less, working out more, and eating better.”

“Well I’m happy you’re making a positive change,” Cheryl said, as her drink was placed in front of her. “It was getting rather depressing watching you drink your sorrows away.”

Archie laughed, “I just want to look my best and not like a street rat.”

“She’s been asking about you again,” Cheryl pointed out. “What you’re up to and how you are.”

“Really?” Archie’s eyes lit up. “Maybe you could like…throw a house party or something and invite both of us? Just so I can have an excuse to see her and talk to her.”

“Maybe that can be arranged,” Cheryl thought, wiggling her eyebrows slightly.

“You should bring Toni too. That way we can all meet her,” Archie suggested.

Cheryl shrugged, “I don’t know. Like I don’t know how she’d fair meeting everyone at once.”

“Well Cheryl, if you really like her then we’re going to have to meet her someday. And I really want to meet her outside of a gentlemen’s club, you know?” Archie laughed.

“I’ll never forget how you got too scared to put the money in the strap of her underwear,” Cheryl giggled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i made the choice to split up chapter 2 into two chapters to adjust the flow, so this chapter is kind of short too. the next one will be a lot longer i'll promise you that.
> 
> thank you for being so understanding!  
> kylie xx  
> (Twitter: erableceo)


	15. Part 2: Quinze

_15._

“And now we’re back in the living room and kitchen. The kitchen is a great place to host parties and get togethers as you’ll be able to cook while entertaining. It’s most definitely a chef’s kitchen,” the relator explained.

Cheryl glanced over at Toni, who was standing close by. Toni was looking out at Brooklyn’s skyline, which could be seen from the large windows of the [condo](https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/550-Vanderbilt-Ave-PHS-Brooklyn-NY-11238/2087762605_zpid/). They were high up, almost the top floor of the complex. The interior was similar to Cheryl’s Manhattan condo, simple yet modernistic. The color theme was crème and beige, with dark brown curtains and oak wood floors.

“It’s absolutely beautiful, thank you,” Cheryl smiled at the relator. “Could you just give us a minute to talk? I need a second opinion.”

“Certainly,” the woman answered, giving them both a small smile. “I’ll be in the dining room when you’re done.”

Toni turned to look at Cheryl once the relator had left, a confused look on her face.

“What do you think?” Cheryl asked. “It’s _magnifique_ , no?”

“It is, but why do you bring me here?” Toni wondered. “Did you need a second opinion on some new real estate?”

“No, silly,” Cheryl laughed, running her hand over Toni’s arm as she stepped closer. “I asked you if you liked it because it’s yours.”

Toni’s eyes widened, “ _Mine_? Cheryl, you can’t be serious.”

“I am serious,” Cheryl smiled. “I want what’s best for you. That run-down apartment you live in now is definitely not the standard of living I want you to be in.”

“This place is beautiful, but it isn’t necessary. That apartment is all I need, plus I don’t want to leave Sweet Pea,” Toni explained, her facial expression becoming worrisome.

“Well I thought that was obvious that he’d move in with you,” Cheryl explained. She noticed Toni’s hesitant expression and frowned. “What’s wrong, baby?”

“It’s just you’re doing so much for me and I’m not doing anything in return,” Toni said. “I can’t afford this, and I couldn’t let you pay for this.”

“Consider this a thank you for all the support you’ve shown me in the last couple of months,” Cheryl answered. “This will keep you away from all of those paparazzi that stake out your apartment all the time too. They won’t know where you live once you move here, I’ll make sure of it. This complex is very private and discreet.”

Paparazzi weren’t the only people that Cheryl wanted to keep away from Toni. After the incident with Toni’s ex Peaches, Cheryl knew that Toni couldn’t stay there. The last thing she needed was for her to be lingering in Toni’s life, and able to pop into her apartment whenever she wanted. This would keep Toni away from the spotlight, but any nuisances as well.

“It really is just too much,” Toni sighed. “We still have nine months left on our lease too.”

Cheryl bit her lip, “How about this? You both move in for a while and if you don’t like it, you can move back into your apartment. You can transfer your lease to me that way if you don’t like it here, you can easily move back.”

Toni look up at Cheryl, before glancing around at the condo again. “Are you sure about this?”

Cheryl cupped Toni’s cheek and leaned forward to kiss her softly. “Of course, I’m sure about this. I want what’s best for you.”

Toni’s eyes fluttered open, gracing Cheryl with her beautiful pools of chocolate brown.

“If we’re going to do this, I just have one favor to ask,” Toni said.

“What is it?” Cheryl wondered.

Toni sighed, “It’s just that…two of my childhood best friends Fangs and Jughead have been trying to move to New York City for a long time. There’s four bedrooms…maybe they could come move in with Sweet Pea and I?”

“Childhood best friends meaning members of that gang you were in?” Cheryl asked.

“Yes, but it’s not like that,” Toni defended.

“I just don’t know how I feel about having gang members living here,” Cheryl explained. “I’m sure they’re wonderful people, but a lot of things come with being in a gang.”

“You don’t think I know that? They’re not in the gang anymore. That’s why they’re trying to move here, so they can escape that lifestyle,” Toni explained. “Please babe. They’ve been stuck in a trailer park for the last twenty-three years and they just want to get out. They’re my family.”

Cheryl sighed, finding it hard to say no to Toni’s pout. “Fine. I’ll consider it…but I’d like to meet them first.”

Toni beamed, “Well we can go to Riverdale and you can.”

“Where you grew up?” Cheryl asked. “You don’t think that’d be weird?”

“I mean, do you think it will be? It won’t be anything like the luxurious life you live, but it’s the best way to meet the boys,” Toni explained. “You can meet my grandpa too.”

Cheryl hesitated for a moment. She had wanted to know more about Toni for ages, this was a perfect opportunity to see the life Toni had lived for the last twenty-three years.

“I’ll go,” Cheryl nodded. “Let’s spend a weekend in Riverdale.”

* * *

 

Cheryl had cold feet from the moment they turned off the highway exit towards Toni’s hometown. She had cold feet when she packed two suitcases of clothes, toned down from her regular glamourous attire. She had even more cold feet while Toni was explaining to her what her friends and grandfather were like. Her grandfather, Thomas Topaz, knew of their relationship…what little it was. He knew that they were seeing each other, that Toni was involved in a public scandal that caused her to lose both of her jobs and be hounded by paparazzi. He knew that she had been harassed so much by Cheryl’s fans that she had to deactivate all of her social media accounts and now she was being moved from her home into something much nicer, all paid for by Cheryl herself.

Cheryl wished Toni hadn’t told her grandfather that much. Anyone hearing that from Toni without knowing much else must think that Cheryl was definitely Toni’s sugar mama and pimping her out. From what Toni had told her, she had lived in poverty for most of her life. It wasn’t until recently that Toni was able to afford to keep herself and her grandfather from out of the streets. Cheryl didn’t know what to expect, she was sure Thomas wasn’t going to be the biggest fan of her considering their very different upbringings. Cheryl went on multiple vacations a year growing up, while Toni’s only guaranteed meal was the one the school for free gave her during lunch.  

Her hands gripped the steering wheel of her silver Mercedes tightly, the nerves in her stomach not lessening the more she thought it over. She was meeting people that were meaningful in Toni’s life, family or not. Hell, Cheryl hadn’t even met Veronica’s parents and they had been dating for much longer.

The nice houses of Riverdale soon grew smaller as they passed through the town towards the trailer park that Toni lived at. Two story houses with large front lawns soon turned into smaller shacks with overgrown grass. They had entered the south side of the town, where roads had more potholes and passing buildings looked seedier. Toni pointed out a rundown building with a large sign displaying “The Whyte Wyrm,” which was her first place of employment when she was only fourteen. It baffled Cheryl that they allowed Toni to work as a bartender that young and that she needed to have that job at all.

“Right here,” Toni spoke up from the passenger seat, pointing to an entrance to a trailer park. _Sunnyside Trailer Park_. Cheryl almost scoffed. Multiple trailers were crammed onto the property, all rusty and rundown. There were plenty motorcycles out front, some with people on them who looked just as rundown as the trailers. All eyes were on them as they pulled onto the dirt road. It didn’t take much to realize they were all looking at the fact the car Cheryl was driving was probably worth more than everything in the trailer park combined.

Cheryl caught eye of a gruff looking man with a large scar on his face, his leather jacket frayed and torn in spots as they parked in front of a light blue rusted trailer.

“And this is where I call home,” Toni spoke up, sighing slightly. “It’s not much.”

The moment the car was in park, Toni was already leaving. Cheryl was caught off guard by how fast Toni left the car, though she knew Toni hadn’t seen her grandfather in a little while.

Cheryl cut the engine and opened the driver’s side door. She looked around at the others watching them as they got out, wondering if any of them recognized her. It was public knowledge that Toni was involved with her, the last thing she needed was for someone to call the paparazzi.

She walked around the side of the car and up to where Thomas was sitting.

“Tiny T is back in town!” someone who was watching them called out from a few trailers away. “Back from the big city!”

Cheryl followed Toni up the steps to the trailer, following her inside.

She was caught with a strong whiff of old cigarette smoke. It was as if it had seeped into all of the furniture, walls, and ceiling. Cheryl’s nose wrinkled slightly at the smell as she looked around the rest of the trailer. The room was hot and humid, the only thing aiding helping were two old fans running on full blast. She could already feel herself sweating. There was barely any room to walk around comfortably. Everything was run down from the kitchen appliances to the stained and ripped couch in the “living room.” If you could call it that. It was going to be a long weekend.

“Who’s making all that racket out there?” a gruff voice called out from the other room.

A man appeared in the doorway of one of the bedrooms, wheezing heavily with tubes in his nose connected to an oxygen mask. Cheryl could only assume that he was Toni’s grandfather, though they hardly looked alike. He had a drooping face, greying goatee, and deep-set eyes. Cheryl was surprised to see him wheeling a breathing machine next to him, as Toni had only mentioned him needing one when he slept.

He looked extremely worse for wear. His clothes were wrinkled and disheveled. The oversized t-shirt he was wearing had several stains on it and his goatee desperately needed a trim and shave.

“Not as much racket as you do whenever you wheel that thing around,” Toni retorted, but walked over to him to embrace him in a strong hug.

“What’s up with your hair, Toni? No more pink?” Thomas asked once they pulled away from their hug.

“Nah. I told you, I don’t work at the Speakeasy anymore so there was no need. I’m thinking of dyeing it back to my natural color and going back to curly,” Toni answered. Cheryl noticed how her dialect changed when she spoke to him. It was different than how she spoke to Cheryl. Peculiar.

“Well good, the pink was getting a bit old, don’t you think?”

Toni laughed, “Grandpa, this is Cheryl Blossom. The one I’ve been telling you all about.”

Thomas’s eyes looked over Toni’s shoulder at Cheryl, his black beady eyes analyzing her in a brief second.

“Ah yes, Miss New York City, huh?” Thomas chuckled, walking slowly towards her. He held out a large and wrinkled hand, “Thomas Topaz. Her grandfather.”

Cheryl reached for his hand and shook it. His hands were calloused and dry, making her want to recoil her hand. Thomas seemed to have been thinking the same thing, as he spoke up before Cheryl had a chance to answer.

“You’re definitely not from around here. Your hands are nice and soft,” he commented. “Probably not used to shaking hands with a man who does a lot of manual labor, huh?”

“Uh, I guess not,” Cheryl answered, as she let go of his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Cheryl’s eyes flashed to Toni, who gave her an apologetic look.

“We’re having a barbeque tomorrow night to celebrate Toni’s return, it’ll be a good opportunity to get a taste of the southside of Riverdale,” Thomas said, moving to go and sit on the couch.

“That’d be great,” Cheryl smiled.

“Well… I’m going to get our bags out of the car and settle in,” Toni spoke up. “Don’t chew her ear off too much, will ya old man?”

“Let me help you with those then,” Thomas spoke up.

“Don’t you even think about it! I can manage,” Toni answered, already halfway out the door.

“You think lung cancer is going to stop me from going about my day to day life? You thought wrong, little girl,” Thomas laughed as he collapsed on the battered couch.

Lung cancer? Cheryl’s eyebrows raised at the words. Toni hadn’t mentioned that her grandfather had lung cancer, only that his lungs were messed up. Was this something that they had only found out? Or had Toni just failed to mention to her the serious of his condition?

Cheryl gave Toni a confused look when she walked back into the trailer, carrying both of Cheryl’s bags and her small carryon on her shoulder.

“You’re definitely overpacked for a weekend trip,” Thomas remarked, eyeing the bags.

Cheryl’s cherry red suitcases looked extremely out of place in the run-down trailer. Her bags were pristine and vibrant, bringing color to the otherwise dreary living space. The sight of her bags in Toni’s hands made her feel even more out of place in the trailer park, she must look exactly like her red suitcases amongst the other people that lived in the area.

“Cheryl always comes prepared, gramps,” Toni chuckled as she tried to navigate through the trailer towards the back bedrooms. “Did you eat already?”

“Course I did. Pea’s mom does a good job of taking care of this old sack of potatoes,” Thomas replied, turning on the beat-up TV in front of him. “Only reason I haven’t starved to death yet.”

“Well good. I was going to give Cheryl a bit of a tour of the town and stop at Pop’s,” Toni explained from the second room. “Maybe take a swim at Sweetwater to cool off. It’s gonna be a hot one, huh?”

“Yeah, it’s too hot for June,” Thomas nodded, eyes focused on the TV. “Fucking global warming. Get out of my sight already, I’m trying to watch my show.”

“Is my baby still in the back?” Toni asked, her tone changing to excitement as she reappeared.

“Yeah it’s still there. May wanna thank Fangs for taking such good care of it. That boy fixed that jerking it used to do when you went too fast,” Thomas replied. “You know he won’t shut up about the fact he’s moving to the city with you.”

“I’m sure he’s glad to get out of this hell hole,” Toni laughed, crossing her arms over her chest. “I know I was.”

“Yeah well unlike you, many people here are going to miss Fangs when he goes. Jughead too,” Thomas laughed, which turned into a cough.

“Funny. _So_ funny. I know you missed me, old man,” Toni laughed.

“Just get out of my sight already,” Thomas answered through coughs.

“Alright, we’ll go,” Toni nodded, motioning for Cheryl to follow. “Just don’t drop dead or burn this place down, hear me?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Cheryl followed Toni outside and back into the heat. All eyes were back on them again the moment they came back into view.

“I don’t think he likes me very much,” Cheryl spoke up, turning to look at Toni.

Toni waved her off, “Don’t worry too much about it. He’s like that with everyone. He just takes some time to warm up to new people.”

Cheryl sighed, not feeling any better by Toni’s reassurance. “You didn’t tell me he has lung cancer either.”

Toni bit her lip, “Oh, yeah. I guess I should’ve told you about that before he dropped the bomb.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Cheryl asked, hurt by their lack of communication.

Toni shrugged, “I just don’t like to talk about it, that’s all.”

“Is he going to be ok?”

“No. He doesn’t want to do chemo,” Toni sighed. “He just wants to live out the last of his days with Pea’s mom making him food in the trailer park he grew up in.”

Cheryl looked at Toni, noticing the hurt in her eyes. “I’m so sorry. We don’t have to keep talking about it. Why don’t you just give me a tour, ok? Let’s not think about it.”

“Just wait right here. I have something much better that we can ride around in than your car,” Toni smirked, her mood changing as she quickly ran around the back of the trailer.

Moments later, a roar of an engine came to life. Cheryl recognized the sound instantly and soon enough Toni came back around the trailer on a blue and black motorcycle. Cheryl’s eyes raised at the sight as she watched Toni roll up next to her, taking in how Toni’s thighs clung onto the sides of the bike.

“This here’s my old SR400,” Toni shouted over the loud rumbling of the engine. “I bought this baby back when I was fourteen and had it all fixed up by the time I got my license a few years later.”

Cheryl continued to examine Toni on the bike. There was an ease to how she sat on the bike, both feet planted firmly on the ground as she supported her weight on her back. On the bike, Toni looked like she belonged there. Cheryl had never seen Toni somewhere that she felt truly comfortable. It sent a pang of sadness into Cheryl’s heart as she realized that Toni probably considered her bike the closest thing to home. Not only did Toni look content from where she sat on the bike, but she looked ridiculously attractive as well.

She had seen Toni in an array of different kinds of outfits. Though her days as Diamond were definitely up there, seeing Toni on a motorcycle sent a shiver up Cheryl’s spine. Her thighs held onto the side of the bike strongly and she was bent over only enough to hold onto the handlebars. There was something utterly sexy about Toni’s demeanor on the bike, different from her usual sexiness.

“Do you wanna hop on?” Toni asked. “Or are you about to tell me how much of a death trap this thing is?”

“No,” Cheryl said quickly. “I want to go on. I love motorcycles.”

“Do you?” Toni asked, a bit surprised. She held the bike steady as Cheryl walked up and swung a leg around the back before settling in behind Toni. Her chest was pressed firmly to Toni’s back, instantly comforting her by their close proximity. “You don’t take me much for a biker.”

“You’re right,” Cheryl laughed. “I’ve only been on a motorcycle a few times. Archie used to have one.”

Toni reached behind her to hand her the black helmet that she had sitting in front of her. Cheryl took it in her hands and examined the worn helmet. Scratched into the inside of it was the initials “TT” next to a roughly scratched snake. Cheryl ran her thumb along the scratch marks, examining the scraps and dents on Toni’s helmet.

“Where’s your helmet?” Cheryl asked.

“You’re holding it,” Toni answered, turning the throttle to make the engine roar. “Ready?”

“Toni Topaz, you need a helmet!” Cheryl scolded, shoving her forward slightly.

Toni laughed, “I’ll drive safely, don’t worry. I only have one helmet, you know.”

“How do you not have more than one?” Cheryl wondered.

Toni shrugged, “You’re about to be the first passenger on my baby. I didn’t think to get one before that.”

Cheryl beamed widely as she lowered the helmet onto her head and strapped in. A fluttering sensation in her stomach erupted at the thought of being Toni’s first passenger. No one else had ever gotten to ride on the back of a bike Toni was driving. She was glad to be the first.

Once she closed the visor of the helmet over her eyes, Toni kicked off from the dirt and began to move forward towards the exit of the trailer park. Cheryl instinctively reached forward and wrapped her arms snuggly around Toni’s middle to prevent herself from moving. Though she was feeling extremely out of place in Toni’s hometown of Riverdale, she felt a sense of peace wash over her as Toni guided them out of the trailer park. They were from different worlds, that was becoming more and more apparent…but maybe they could coexist in the same one for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> once again, my twitter is @erableceo! I'll be posting a lot of updates on when my updates are lol. Hop eyou guys like this as we get a taste of what Toni's life was like growing up.


	16. Part 2: Seize

_16._

To Cheryl, seeing a glimpse of Toni’s world felt similar to someone visiting a different country. The more she discovered about the quiet New York suburb of Riverdale, the more she fell in love with the town. It started with Toni’s guided tour of both the north and south parts of the town. The northside of Riverdale captivated Cheryl, with its quaint little stores and picturesque flowing river. She loved to be on the back of Toni’s motorcycle, with arms wrapped securely around the smaller girl’s middle. The low rumble of the motorcycle was drowned out by the wind whipping in her ears, only dulled out by the helmet over her head.

Riverdale was covered with large pine trees everywhere you looked, dense with thick trunks and long branches. Following her tour of the town, Toni took her to her favorite summer spot as a kid. Sweetwater River had one public swimming area which consisted of a gravel beach surrounded by large climbing rocks that poked out of the water. Many residents would find relief from the heat during the summer, but few knew of the secret swimming hole tucked just under a graffiti covered bridge. According to Toni, she had been coming here with her friends since they were around ten years old. There was a rope swing connected to a large tree branch that had been used so many times that the original rope had been replaced four times. As they walked down from the side of the road to the edge of the water, Toni laughed through a story of how the rope had snapped when they were thirteen while Sweet Pea was swinging from it, resulting in a broken collar bone and concussion right before school started.

The water was cool at the warmest, sending shivers up Cheryl’s legs as she dipped her manicured toes in. Toni was a lot bolder; wading past her and falling into the water up to her neck. She managed to ease Cheryl in up to her thighs, before eventually grabbing her by the waist and pulling her under. Though initially angered by Toni’s sudden and surprising action, she found she couldn’t stay mad at the younger girl once they resurfaced. Toni’s snorting giggle made her shiver in a different way and Cheryl couldn’t help but smile as Toni pushed her wet hair behind her ears.

She wanted desperately to kiss Toni, to touch her in any way or hold her close. Since they had arrived at Riverdale, Toni hadn’t kissed her or even touched her. Cheryl understood why, since they were meeting her family and friends. It still didn’t stop the urge to close the gap between them, but she knew better than to overstep.

Things had been a bit questionable to Cheryl, making her wonder if she and Toni were on the same page when it came to their relationship. Not that there was one…but that they both wanted the same thing to come from it. The more time Cheryl spent with Toni, the more she wanted things to progress into something much more serious. Toni had told her that she wanted the same thing but needed time to actually get to know each other. But it was times like this where Cheryl wondered if Toni still wanted that.

“What’s wrong?” Toni asked, running a hand over Cheryl’s wet cheek. She gave Cheryl a look with her soft brown eyes, eyes that Cheryl hoped she saved for her.

Cheryl shook her head, trying not to let the thoughts get to her, “Nothing. It’s just a lot to take in.”

“Do you like it here?” Toni wondered, swimming closer to her and reaching for her hips. She wrapped her arms around Cheryl’s waist and tugged her closer.

“I do. It’s really nice and quiet here. Picturesque almost,” Cheryl answered, heart settling as Toni pulled her into a hug. Cheryl placed her chin on Toni’s shoulder, hugging the smaller woman back.

“You’d like the northside then. A lot of drug trafficking and other bad shit goes on in the south,” Toni pointed out. She pulled her head back, while still holding onto Cheryl’s waist.

Cheryl stared back at her, looking directly into her soft brown eyes. For some reason, being in Riverdale with Toni was not only overwhelming, but it made her feel almost home. There was something about the town that drew Cheryl in, not just because Toni called it home. Even the abandoned and rundown mansion that Toni showed her drew her in, which had the loving nickname of “Thornhill.” For being the thorn in Riverdale’s side.

“I’m really glad you took me here,” Cheryl admitted, only just audibly over the sound of the moving water around them. She placed her arms around Toni’s shoulders, able to run her hands through Toni’s soaked blonde hair.

“I’m glad you came,” Toni smiled. “I’ve never brought anyone back to Riverdale before. You’re pretty special, you know.”

“I know,” Cheryl smiled, taking that as slight confirmation that Toni was feeling similarly to how Cheryl was.

Unexpectedly, Toni leaned forward and captured Cheryl’s full bottom lip between hers. Her lips were cold from the water and Cheryl could taste the droplets of Sweetwater River on her tongue that were remnant on her lips. The kiss was slow, leaving Cheryl feeling breathless as it always would when Toni would kiss her. She cupped the back of Toni’s head, fingers splaying across her neck and base of her skull. Cheryl’s eyes fluttered closed, savoring the moment between them as she didn’t know when the next one would be. In that moment, it was the two of them in the hidden part of Sweetwater River. Toni kept her close, arms still securely holding her in place under the water. They broke for air momentarily, both keeping their eyes closed as their noses touched briefly. Cheryl could feel the hot breath coming from Toni’s mouth against her lips, leaving her aching for another kiss.

Acting on her desires, Cheryl leaned back forward to kiss Toni again. This kiss was searing and passionate. She held onto Toni tighter and tilted her head to the side more so that he could firmly kiss the shorter woman. Their tongues met in the following kiss, igniting a flame in both of them that made both forget about how cold the water was. Cheryl raked her fingers through Toni’s wet hair, massaging her scalp as Toni’s arms moved to wrap around her thighs.

In one swift movement, Toni had lifted Cheryl upwards in the water by her thighs. Cheryl instinctively wrapped her legs around Toni’s hips, not breaking the connection of their lips. Toni held onto Cheryl’s legs tightly, while one hand moved to dip under the waistband of her swimsuit.

Cheryl cried out softly against Toni’s lips minutes later, legs shaking and squeezing tightly around her waist. Her noises were only drowned out by the sound of the running water, making Cheryl grateful that no one else was around. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and held onto Toni, walls clenching around the fingers still buried deep inside her.

Though their time at Sweetwater River eased some hesitation of Cheryl’s doubts about Toni’s feelings for her, it didn’t help that Toni barely touched her once they returned back to Sunnyside Trailer Park. They got takeout from Pop’s, where Cheryl quickly found out that the only vegan thing on the menu was their fries. Toni sat at a comfortable distance from Cheryl at all times on the couch, acting almost as though their rendezvous at the river didn’t happen.

That night was hardly any different. Cheryl situated herself on top of the covers in Toni’s small childhood bed, which did little to comfort her from the day. Sleeping on the mattress felt similar to sleeping on a floor. It was hard and lumpy in places it shouldn’t be, with sheets that felt similar to cardboard paper. It thankfully had cooled off that night, allowing the chilly air to waft through the small window. She laid down to the sound of cicadas and the low rumble of motorcycle engines around the trailer park. She quickly found out that the trailer park didn’t seem to have a bedtime, as people’s chatter and sound of different motorcycles returning lasted well past midnight. Thankfully for Cheryl, she was used to living in an area where no one really seemed to go to sleep.

She spent majority of her waking hours hoping Toni would come visit her in her bedroom. Due to the small space that Toni considered her bedroom, she decided to sleep on the rundown couch just outside the door. It made sense for her to do so, but Cheryl would rather she be curled up into her side despite the limited space they had. Toni never did show up in her bed that night, much to Cheryl’s disappointment when they woke up the next morning. Nor did she kiss Cheryl good morning or follow her into the shower, which was their usual routine back in New York City.

This continued even at the barbeque, where Cheryl had prepared herself to meet all the types of people that called their trailer home at Sunnyside Trailer Park. Her hesitancy on meeting them not only stemmed from what _type_ of people lived there, but what those type of people could tell those desperate to photograph the red-haired woman at any moment. She voiced the hesitancy to Toni mere minutes before they were due to make their appearance at the barbeque.

“I’m afraid the paparazzi are going to figure out I’m here,” Cheryl said simply. It was something she had to constantly be worrying about, something that Toni was still not entirely used to despite being followed around herself by cameras.

Toni was in the bathroom next to the living room, door open and fixing her makeup in the mirror. Her jean shorts barely went passed her ass and simple black tank top was tucked behind the waistband. She turned around to face Cheryl, stepping out of the bathroom to approach Cheryl on the couch.

“Why? We’ve been careful this whole time about making sure you’re not seen often,” Toni asked, giving Cheryl a worrisome look.

Cheryl sighed, “I know. But there are going to be a lot of people at this barbeque who know who I am.”

“They won’t rat you out,” Toni countered, placing a hand on Cheryl’s shoulder. “Most of them probably don’t even know who you are. And trust me, the last thing anyone in this trailer park wants is for people with cameras coming here.”

“You’re sure?” Cheryl asked.

“Positive,” Toni smiled. “Now come on, it’s time to meet the rest of my friends. And let me just say, you look amazing in my clothes.”

According to Toni, the outfits Cheryl brought definitely didn’t fit in at the trailer park despite being toned down to Cheryl’s standards. Toni’s clothes were a little tight, but she had dressed Cheryl in a royal blue crop top and black shorts. She had even spent time to braid Cheryl’s hair in the way she had back when they first met each other. It was as basic as Cheryl had ever dressed in a long time, not used to the simplicity of it all.

A barbeque at Sunnyside Trailer Park was much different than Cheryl expected. She’d never been to a proper barbeque; it just wasn’t something her family ever did. Hosting dinners at their estate always involved an ulterior motive of a fundraiser or way to promote something. It wasn’t normal for people to just…come together and spend time together with the only motive to eat a ton of food.

The moment they stepped out of the trailer; they were hit with the smell of cooking meat on the grill. Two trailers over was a gruff and intimidating man with a mullet and unkept beard turning ribs and brisket over a large grill. He was wearing a cut off leather jacket despite the heat from beating sun. It was well past six by now, but the sun still hung rather high in the sky.

Over to the right were a few Southside Serpents holding red solo cups of beer near a keg stand. They were laughing and pushing each other around. Cheryl immediately spotted Sweet Pea near them, wearing a cut off plaid shirt and jeans. He was playing corn hole, throwing bean bags at a hole in a wooden board twenty feet away while expertly holding onto his beer. Standing on the other side was a man who although was shorter than Sweet Pea, was much more muscular. His hair was slicked by in a stylish way, not one unruly hair with all the hair gel he used.

Toni led Cheryl towards the pair, calling out to Sweet Pea as they crossed the lawn.

“Topaz! Blossom!” Sweet Pea answered, smiling widely. As intimidating as he looked, Cheryl found his features to be appealing when he smiled. Though she wasn’t personally attracted to him, it didn’t take much to realize that he was attractive in his own. She could definitely picture him modeling her clothes in her next spread but knew that would definitely not be something he was interested in doing.

Sweet Pea walked away from the cornhole game to meet them halfway.

“It’s really good to see you both,” he said, not wasting time to envelope Toni in a tight hug. Though she expected Sweet Pea to give Toni a hug, she was surprised when he broke from their hug and immediately went to hug Cheryl.

Sweet Pea was a good hugger, with strong arms using just the right amount of pressure. He was tall enough that he had to bend over slightly to hug them both, even taller in his combat boots. She and Sweet Pea saw each other often when Cheryl would visit their apartment, but she didn’t think they were on hugging terms. It was a pleasant surprise, hoping that meant he had accepted her.

“What time did you get in, Pea?” Toni asked once he and Cheryl had broke from their hug.

“This morning. Just been spending time with my mom for the most part,” he explained. “Before I forget Cheryl, I told my mom you were vegan so she made a few vegan recipes since most of the food here definitely doesn’t qualify. She’s the trailer next to Toni’s when you get hungry.”

Cheryl smiled, “Thank you. That’s so nice of you both.”

“Don’t mention it. We don’t want you to starve,” he answered.

“You abandon the cornhole game right when I’m winning?” the well-groomed man playing with Sweet Pea asked as he approached. He had a model face, symmetrical features and soft eyes.

“Shut up Fangs, I’ve won the last two times,” Sweet Pea retorted.

“Cheryl, this is Fangs. He’s one of the people that will be moving into our new place,” Toni spoke up. “Fangs, this is Cheryl Blossom.”

“It’s really nice to meet you,” Fangs smiled, showing off pearly white teeth. He held out a large hand, shaking hers firmly. “I’ve heard a lot about you…well it’s kind of hard not to when you’re always in the news.”

“Thank you,” Cheryl answered, not knowing how to answer to that. “It’s nice to meet you too.”

“Where’s Jug?” Toni asked.

“Who the fuck knows. Probably with his dad,” Fangs shrugged.

“I’m right here, jackass.”

A scrawny man wearing a grey colored beanie approached, adjusting the collar of his leather jacket. Cheryl almost cringed at the fashion catastrophe.

“Jughead, this is Cheryl. Cheryl, this is Jughead,” Toni said. “Jughead and I go way back.”

“Unfortunately,” Jughead retorted. Cheryl got the vibe from him that he was the most serious of the four, keeping the other three from doing childish things. “It’s nice to meet you, Cheryl. Words cannot express how grateful we are for moving us out of this shithole.”

“Hey, don’t hate on Sunnyside!” Fangs scoffed, jabbing Jughead in the shoulder with his hand. “This place is still home no matter where we end up.”

“Alright, alright,” Sweet Pea spoke up. “Enough with formalities. We were just about to play a rousing game of beer pong if either of you ladies are interested in joining.”

“Of course we are,” Toni smiled. “Just as long as Cheryl can be on my team.”

Sweet Pea turned to Cheryl, “Are you down for that, Blossom?”

Cheryl smiled, “Of course.”

On their walk towards the beer pong table that had been set up, Cheryl’s eyes flashed over to Toni’s trailer. Sitting on one of the lawn chairs was Thomas, watching them intently. Though he was rather far away from them, Cheryl swore she saw the glimmer of a smile on his sagging lips. It was so brief she wasn’t sure if she had actually seen it. But, she didn’t feel intimidated as their eyes made contact.

“Come on!” Toni yelled, tugging on Cheryl’s arm and breaking their eye contact. “Let’s kick some ass!”

* * *

 

The night continued on with much laughter, food, and beer pong. Toni and Cheryl dominated at the game, facing multiple teams and shutting down each one. Fangs turned out to be their number one fan, cheering wildly every time one of the ping pong balls landed in a cup. If it hadn’t been for Reggie, who made her his teammate for beer pong throughout college, she probably would be terrible.

When the sun had begun to set, Toni and her friends had resorted to sticking random things in a bonfire someone got going. Cheryl hung back and watched them stick sticks, food, and paper plates in the fire. She settled in one of the lawn chairs that permanently resided in the small lawn out front to watch them without being near them when one would inevitably catch themselves on fire. It gave her a chance to gather herself, to spectate instead of participate. She had never experienced something quite like this. People who barely had anything to their name seemed to have the most enjoyable time. If this was an event Cheryl attended, it wouldn’t nearly be as fun. Yet, these gang members were able to turn something small and rather inexpensive into one of the best nights of Cheryl’s life. She didn’t fit in with them, but as time passed it felt more and more as if she belonged. Toni and her friends were doing a good job of that.

Cheryl heard heavy breathing and the clunk of something being rolled down the steps that led to the trailer. She turned her head to see Thomas settling down in the lawn chair next to her, dragging his oxygen machine with him.

“Enjoying yourself?” he asked, before letting out a raspy cough.

Cheryl smiled and turned towards him, “A lot actually. This has been a lot of fun, I’m kind of upset we have to leave tomorrow morning.”

“It’s the Southside charm that’s gotten to ya,” Thomas chuckled. “But because you’re dating my granddaughter, it was already obvious that our charm works on you.”

“Oh…we aren’t dating,” Cheryl admitted rather awkwardly. “We’re just…going out. Enjoying each other’s company.”

Thomas frowned slightly and scratched his chin, “Casual then.”

“I guess,” Cheryl replied, turning to continue to watch them stick things into the fire. “I honestly don’t know what she’s thinking half of the time.”

“Well, she’s had a hard time expressing herself and how she feels,” Thomas sighed. “It’s been a rough road for her since what happened as a teen.”

Cheryl remembered what Toni had mentioned to her about her childhood. That she lived with her uncle while her father was in jail, that her father didn’t stick around much long after he was released, that she didn’t know really anything about her mother, and that she couch-surfed following coming out. Could that have anything to do with it?

“About coming out?” Cheryl wondered. She looked over at Thomas, who was watching Toni.

“Yeah, coming out. Her uncle, my youngest son, found out about it when she was fourteen. He kicked her out that same night, tossed her stuff into the mud and told her to not come back,” Thomas explained, coughing deeply and spitting on the ground in front of him.

“So, she ended up here with you?” Cheryl asked.

Thomas sighed, “Not exactly. I wasn’t exactly the most…accepting of the situation when it was happening. You know, you grow up hearing how that sort of thing is wrong and then you discover your own granddaughter is that way. Back then I felt I had failed as a grandfather, that it was brought on by the fact her parents both abandoned her and her uncle couldn’t barely care less.”

It was shocking to hear what Thomas had to say about the situation involving Toni. She had barely shared with Cheryl what it was like for her as a teen and only briefly talked about how hard it was for her to come out as a bisexual woman months ago.

“The whole thing was hard for her and she ended up staying on Sweet Pea’s couch for a while. We didn’t even acknowledge each other, yet we saw each other every day since we still lived in the same trailer park,” Thomas explained.

“So, what changed? How were you able to accept her?” Cheryl asked.

“I didn’t accept it at first because I didn’t want to lose my credibility as a member of the Serpents. Then I realized, that didn’t matter. Toni’s my only grandchild and I was watching her grow up from afar, missing out on all of her teen years when we had spent a lot of her childhood years together. It didn’t feel right.”

There was a loud whoop from Fangs and Cheryl looked over to see Sweet Pea had poured some gasoline into the fire, causing an uproar of flames. Cheryl could practically feel the heat from where they sat.

Thomas let out a hardy laugh and shouted, “Careful with that! We don’t need a repeat of Jughead’s singed eyebrows!”

“I was like fifteen!” Jughead shouted back angrily over Toni’s loud laughs.

Thomas continued to laugh until he coughed again.

“God damn lungs,” he spoke through rumbling coughs. “What was I saying?”

“About watching Toni grow up from afar,” Cheryl answered.

Thomas nodded, “Right. I later realized that what Toni was or called herself didn’t matter. We can’t always listen to what we were taught as children and humans must always be adaptable. So we reconciled and she moved into my trailer. Things were definitely not the same between us though. It’ll probably never be the same again.”

“That can be rather traumatizing, especially at that age,” Cheryl observed.

Thomas sighed, “I’m sure it was. Makes sense why she didn’t last in Riverdale much longer after that. She dropped about two years later and took everything to New York City. It’s taken me getting lung cancer for us to see each other more than once a year at Christmas.”

Thomas’s words left a pang in Cheryl’s heart. Toni really did come from a broken family, one that would probably never be salvaged from the pain that she experienced. Though Thomas’s reaction to Toni coming out was less than loving, Cheryl could see how far he had come and how much he loved his granddaughter.

“When it was leaked a few months ago that I’m a lesbian, my parents wanted nothing to do with me either. I spent most of my life afraid to be myself because I was afraid of what other people would think of me if they knew,” Cheryl explained. “It’s a terrible feeling to have members of your own family just want nothing to do with you because you’re being yourself. I’m not sure if they’ll ever come around.”

“Maybe they will, maybe they won’t. There’s no guarantee to how people will change,” Thomas coughed. “You know what they say though. You can cure ignorance, but you can’t cure stupidity.”

They both laughed, making Cheryl feel more at ease. Though Toni wasn’t the one who shared it with her, Cheryl felt better knowing more information about her life. It was rare that they talked about her past, and she could see why she wasn’t keen to talk about it.

“As for Toni, just give her some time to warm up,” Thomas added. “As far as I know, this is her first relationship. Her first relationship that she feels comfortable enough introducing her family to. It’s not customary to bring people around to meet the Serpents that you don’t feel a certain way about.”

“Really?” Cheryl asked.

“Well sure. Why would you bring someone around to meet your brothers if you were just sticking to casual?” Thomas asked. “She’s a bit of a free spirit, like myself.”

Cheryl smiled, “Well thank you for all of this. It’s actually put my mind at ease a lot. I thought you didn’t like me.”

Thomas let out a wheezy laugh, “I didn’t at first. I thought you were just a pretty face who happened to be famous that was going to use my granddaughter. But, I can see how you both care for each other. I know you probably won’t come back, but you’re always welcome in Riverdale.”

“I actually might take you up on that. I really like this town,” Cheryl admitted.

Thomas laughed again, “You should convince Toni of that so that way she’ll move back here. I miss that little shit.”

* * *

 

Cheryl was almost asleep in Toni’s small bed when she heard a voice whisper at the doorway. It was soft and raspy, a familiar voice she was so fond of hearing.

“Cheryl?” the voice asked.

Cheryl felt the heaviness of her mind dissipate immediately, clearing her head from her sleep. She was confused at first and squinted in the darkness, barely able to make out Toni’s figure in the dim lighting.

“Toni?” Cheryl answered. Why was she in the doorway? “Is something wrong? Are you ok?”

Toni didn’t answer her right away, choosing to walk towards the edge of the bed where Cheryl was laying. She felt the bed dip slightly as Toni sat down next to her.

“Nothing’s wrong. I was just wondering if I could sleep in here with you,” Toni whispered.

“In this small bed? It’ll be like college all over again,” Cheryl giggled, but did her best to scoot to the edge of the bed to allow Toni as much as room as possible. “Come here.”

The bed dipped more and a moment later, Toni was sliding under the top sheet of the bed and into Cheryl’s side. Her body was radiating heat, which was a bit unbearable considering how warm the trailer already was. It wasn’t ideal, but the fact Toni was now pressed against her chest was more than enough. She’d suffer through the uncomfortable heat and sweating for some time in her favorite person’s arms.

“Did I wake you up?” Toni asked, running a hand through Cheryl’s hair.

“No,” Cheryl answered. “Could you not fall asleep?”

Toni’s nails lightly scraping against Cheryl’s skull felt heavenly.

“I didn’t really try. I’d just rather sleep in here with you,” Toni admitted. “I’m glad you and my grandpa are getting along better. I saw you guys talking.”

“He was telling me about what it’s like being a Serpent,” Cheryl smiled, placing her head on Toni’s chest. Their legs intertwined comfortably, picking up right where they left off. She was trying to be as vague as possible to allow Toni an opportunity to speak. “And what it’s like growing up here.”

“I’m sure he told you it’s not a walk in a park living here,” Toni answered, and Cheryl could hear the small smile in her voice. “What did he tell you?”

“Well, I didn’t realize how you long you were couch surfing after you were kicked out,” Cheryl whispered. “Two years of living with Sweet Pea?”

“Pretty much,” Toni sighed. “When your family kicks you out, you turn to your gang family.”

“When did you join the Serpents?” Cheryl wondered.

“I had just turned nine,” Toni answered. Though she had heard that many gangs brought in new members at an early age, it was still surprising to hear Toni had been one of them. “My grandfather was the Serpent King at the time, the leader of all of us. I started selling jingle jangle after school with Sweet Pea, making thousands of dollars a day selling that shit to the rich Northsiders looking for a quick high. It didn’t last long though, the old man thought it was too dangerous and put a stop to it real quick.”

“Well, he loves you. You’re his only grandchild,” Cheryl nodded.

Toni chuckled and kissed the top of Cheryl’s forehead, “Yeah I guess so. He wanted more for me than gang life. He thought I had more potential than hustling drugs before my age had even hit double digits. He almost didn’t even let me join the gang, but I put up a big enough fight that finally convinced him. I was strong headed even back then, I didn’t want to miss out especially since he had let Sweet Pea and Fangs join.”

“What about Jughead?” Cheryl wondered.

“Jughead didn’t join until he was fifteen. His dad put his foot down and sheltered him from the gang life. Even had him living on the Northside of town too,” Toni explained. “But even when I was in the gang, he definitely kept me out of a lot of the more terrible things. Instead of selling drugs, he took me fishing and taught me how to shoot a gun. Even took me camping one weekend up in the woods behind Sweetwater River. When news of my sexuality caused the huge fallout in my family, I then really turned to gang life as my safety. Fishing trips were replaced with burglary and violently beating our rivals.”

“Violently? Did you ever…kill someone?” Cheryl asked, not sure if she wanted to hear the answer.

Toni sighed, “I came close once. When I was sixteen…I don’t really want to talk about it.”

Cheryl thought better than to press Toni on the issue. “And what happened once you and your grandfather reconciled?”

“Well, things changed for me. My grandpa had stepped down as Serpent King and passed it along to Jughead’s dad, FP,” Toni answered, hand moving from Cheryl’s hair to begin stroking her back. “That’s when I was told that I was going to be groomed to be the next leader when FP stepped down. They wanted me to be Serpent Queen when I was old enough.”

“And were you?” Cheryl wondered.

Toni laughed, “Considering the fact FP is still king, no. It wasn’t too long after the grooming process began that I realized that my grandfather was right, I was worth more than gang life. So Sweet Pea and I dropped out and moved to the city.”

“You just left the gang? Just like that?” Cheryl asked. “I thought once you’re in, you’re there for life.”

Toni shrugged, “It’s a lot easier to leave when your family were the founders of the gang. It was like an honorable discharge almost. A lot of members leave once they move away or get a real job.”

“I guess I don’t really know anything about gang life,” Cheryl laughed. “I admire your grandfather for trying to give you a normal life.”

“I do too,” Toni agreed. “We clashed heads a lot when I got older, but he really wanted what was best for me. Though I didn’t understand it as a teen, I can see why he wanted to shelter me from it. Being in a gang isn’t an afterschool club. It’s violence and running from the law.”

“Speaking of your grandfather, I was going to give this to you tomorrow but since you’re here,” Cheryl began, reaching for the piece of paper sitting on the old bedside table next to the bed. “I wanted him to have this.”

She handed the piece of paper to Toni, which she was barely able to see in the dim lighting.

“Cher…what is this?” Toni asked, though Cheryl had an idea Toni knew what it was. Toni sat up in bed and held the paper close to her face.

“A check. That way your grandfather can get the proper treatment he needs for his lung cancer. It should cover hospice care, chemo treatment, and anything else he needs.”

“I can’t accept this. It’s-,” Toni began, but Cheryl but her off.

“It’s not for you, Toni,” Cheryl said sharply, as she sat up next to Toni. “It’s for your grandfather. He deserves a shot at recovery. And it should be enough to move him out of this trailer and into an actual house.”

Toni laughed and sniffled slightly, “That’s a generous offer, but there’s no way that old man is going to move out of this trailer.”

Toni wiped at her eyes and sniffled some more. Cheryl studied her face, able to make out a few tears rolling down her cheeks. She reached out and ran her thumb over one that was about to drip off her jaw.

“You have no idea how grateful I am for this,” Toni spoke, voice full of emotion. “Thank you.”

Before Cheryl could respond, Toni was enveloping her in a tight hug. Cheryl had never been hugged like this before but did her best to hold Toni. She didn’t want to let go of the younger woman, who deserved much more than how her life had been.

“Your grandfather deserves it. I’m not going to sit back and let a good man suffer just because he can’t afford his treatment,” Cheryl explained. “And Jughead and Fangs can move into your apartment too. Don’t worry Toni, I’ll take care of you and your family from now on.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> phew. longer than usual and hopefully calms down those who think Toni isn't interested in Cheryl lol
> 
> twitter: erableceo


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